Increased funding to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland

A programme to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in Scotland will receive an extra £9 million of funding this year to support a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Scottish Government’s Area Based Scheme (ABS) programme will provide over £64 million in 2021/22 – up from £55 million the year before – to enable every local authority in Scotland to deliver energy efficiency measures to fuel poor households and communities.

The work forms part of a £1.6 billion investment over the next five years to transform the heat and energy efficiency of buildings. It is the aim of the Scottish Government for more than one million homes to be using low and zero emissions heating systems by 2030.

ABS projects have helped deliver energy efficiency improvements to more than 100,000 homes since the programme launched in 2013. That has generated cumulative savings for household fuel bills worth over £900 million while reducing CO2 emissions by over 3.4 million tonnes.

Michael Matheson, Net Zero and Energy Secretary, said: “We are wholly committed to ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change and, crucially, doing so in a way that is fair for everyone and leaves no-one behind. Reducing emissions from heating our homes is one of the most important things we can do to ensure we become a net-zero society by 2045. It will require us all to take action and everyone across Scotland will need to play their part in making sure our homes and buildings are fit for a net-zero future.

“We are committed to rapidly scaling-up action, but doing so in a way that ensures that our fuel poverty objectives and our commitment to tackling climate change work together, ensuring a fair and just transition to net zero. I am pleased to confirm increased funding for this year’s ABS programme, which continues to support on-the-ground delivery of projects making a tangible and positive difference – not just to greenhouse gas emissions, but to people’s lives.”