Orkney awarded another £1m towards warm homes

Orkney Islands Council is urging householders to check if they could be eligible for funding to help keep their homes warm and cut fuel bills.

The Council was awarded £1 million earlier this month from the Scottish Government for 2018-19 to help home owners, private sector tenants and landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

Under the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Scheme (HEEPS: ABS), funding is available for loft insulation, internal wall insulation, and external wall insulation.

Luke Fraser is the Council’s Team Leader in Policy and Planning for Housing services: “This is the fourth year of delivery for the HEEPS: ABS in Orkney and already over 300 properties have been upgraded with additional insulation measures as a result.

“While in summer, cold homes can seem a distant memory, we are reminding people that funding continues to be available, and urging them to take the first steps to see if they could benefit, before this winter arrives.

All households in Council Tax bands A to D that have an Energy Performance Certificate of E, F or G are eligible for support through HEEPS: ABS. Some households in Council Tax bands E to H will also be eligible depending on their income levels.

Up to £9,000 in HEEPS: ABS funding is available per-household to support the installation of insulation measures.

In addition to HEEPS: ABS, the Council also has access to additional funding via the Warm Homes Fund, Warmzones CIC and Energy Company Obligation schemes. These funding pots support a variety of measures - from insulation, some heating upgrades and first time central heating installations.

All households who are interested in the potential to upgrade their property’s energy efficiency should contact Firefly Energi (Orkney) Ltd, who have been appointed by the Council to manage the initiative, on (01856) 881151 or by email info@fireflyenergi.co.uk, or visit their office at 31 Broad Street, Kirkwall (Monday-Friday, 09:00 to 17:00).