Another £600k awarded to OIC for warmer homes

Orkney Islands Council has been awarded another £600k by the Scottish Government to help more households with energy efficiency works.

The boost brings the county’s share of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS) up to £2.1m for 2022-23.

And the Council’s contract with Warmworks, the organisation appointed by OIC to manage the rollout of the EES:ABS funds in Orkney, has been extended for another year, meaning they will continue to help local households in 2023-24.

Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, Gwenda Shearer, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded another £600k for Orkney households for this year’s EES:ABS programme. This will allow Warmworks to press ahead with some of the casework from the high level of demand this year for their services in Orkney. We’re also pleased to have extended our contract with Warmworks who’ve built such a good rapport with the local community, and look forward to seeing them continue to make inroads into improving the energy efficiency of local homes over 2023-24.”

In the current scheme year, Warmworks has installed nearly 100 heating and insulation measures that have helped more than 80 Orkney homes to improve their energy efficiency.

Warmworks' Chief Executive, Ross Armstrong, said: "This is great news for Warmworks and our team in Orkney. We know the pressures people are facing when it comes to their energy bills and staying warm at home, and this extra funding will help us to meet the high demand we've seen for our services this year. The extension of our partnership with Orkney Islands Council to manage the EES:ABS scheme for a further year is a welcome endorsement of the approach we've taken, which has seen us work closely with the local community to make sure that the energy efficiency upgrades available are targeted towards those most in need of support. Our team will be working hard to deliver these heating and insulation works to our existing customers with this increased funding, and they are happy to speak to local householders about applications to the scheme.”   

Warmworks works to deliver EES: ABS money to households who need it, and work is carried out by local contractors. The funds are for ANY private householder experiencing difficulties with their heating costs – and could pay for over £10k in measures such as insulation and upgraded storage heaters.

They have an office in Kirkwall and can also refer you to other sources of help and advice.

If you would like to speak to Warmworks about potential measures for your home, for installing from autumn 2023, contact the team by email orkney@warmworks.co.uk  or by phoning 01856 881513 or Freephone 0800 038 6022 – or drop into their office at The Store, 5 West Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall KW15 1AL.