Edinburgh launches £12 million home insulation scheme

Up to 3,500 homes in Edinburgh, UK, are to be insulated over the next year in a bid to make them cheaper to heat and reduce fuel poverty.

Homeowners and private tenants will benefit from an estimated £12 million of available funding through the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme (HEEPS) and funding from the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO).

The City Council, working with the Energy Savings Trust and Changeworks, will provide loft and cavity wall insulation to thousands of households across the Scottish capital that are at risk of being affected by fuel poverty.

“The rising cost of heating is hitting poorer households hard. This initiative will make a major contribution to making homes for some of the worst affected households cheaper to heat,” said Cammy Day, Housing Convener Councillor. “This initiative is a major part of the Coalition’s commitment to ensuring that the city’s people are well housed in quality accommodation, whether this is within our own stock or in privately owned homes.”

Private homes are, on average, less energy efficient than council homes and have poorer energy performance ratings. Council tenants benefit from a comprehensive investment programme, which has seen around £30 million invested over the last five years in improving the energy efficiency of council homes.

Home Energy Scotland claims that Edinburgh residents, who don’t have any insulation, are probably losing about 26 percent of their heat through the roof and around 33 percent through the walls.

Adding the recommended 270 millimetres of loft insulation could save up to £175 a year in heating costs. Even if residents already have some insulation in their loft, by topping it up to the recommended depth could save money on heating bills. Filling cavity walls with insulation could add even more to annual savings.