Attempts To Tackle Fuel Poverty

Just over £2.5million is being spent on making local homes warmer, more environmentally friendly and cheaper to heat.

A number of council projects are taking place across Fife to install energy saving measures as part of a programme to tackle fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency.

Those include external, cavity wall and loft insulation. Experts say insulation can significantly reduce heat loss from the home while lowering heating bills.

Arout a third of all heat lost in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls and a quarter through the roof. It's estimated external wall insulation could save an average householder around £260 a year on their utlities bill.

Alan Russell, Senior Manager, Housing Service says:“Fife Council is delighted to receive these funds from the Scottish Government, so that we can continue to improve the lives of people across Fife by making their homes warmer and cheaper to heat. I am particularly pleased that we will be working in partnership with the charity Changeworks and installing insulation in the homes of people who are at risk of fuel poverty.”

The Council will be running insulation projects in the following areas this year (2015-16):

• Woodmill and Touch in Dunfermline
• Kirkcaldy Valley East
• Kirkcaldy Templehall North
• Overton
• Anstruther

In addition, the local authority will run area wide projects on hard to treat cavity wall insulation – where the property is higher than three storeys, the cavity has been identified as narrow, or the insulation installed has failed.