This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for fuel poverty
03/02/2004
£5.8 million funding, some of which will help tackle
fuel poverty in Scotland, was today welcomed by Executive
Ministers.
Projects in Aberdeen, Clydebank, Edinburgh and
Midlothian will receive funding from the Community Energy
Programme, to support schemes to improve heating, including
in homes, schools, and universities.
The funding, from the Department for the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), was announced today by Lord
Whitty, UK Minister for Sustainable Energy.
Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald welcomed the
funding, saying:
"Improving energy efficiency is essential - it can not
only help save money on bills but helps the environment
too.
"Today's funding will help improve heating in homes and
schools across the country, and reduce fuel poverty in
Scotland."
Deputy Communities Minister Mary Mulligan highlighted
steps the Executive has already taken to tackle fuel
poverty:
"The Community Energy Programme will help continue our
work on tackling the scourge of fuel poverty in
Scotland.
"We have already lifted more than 300,000 people out of
fuel poverty since 1996 and installed 28,000 central
heating systems under the Central Heating Programme."
Mr Macdonald was speaking at the Scottish Energy and
Environment conference in Glasgow, where the latest round
of a Scottish environment award was launched.
The Vision in Business for the Environment of
Scotland (VIBES) awards are open to any business or
organisation which brings business benefits through
improvements to their environmental performance.
Lewis Macdonald said:
"The VIBES awards are an excellent way of highlighting
to organisations across Scotland the opportunities and
savings that environmental awareness can bring."
Deputy Environment Minister Allan Wilson also offered
his backing for the awards, saying:
"Safeguarding our environment must be a shared
responsibility. Sound environmental management is good for
the bottom line."
COMMUNITY ENERGY PROGRAMME
Eight projects across the UK will benefit from funding
announced today, totalling £6,361,583. Scotland receives 88
per cent of today's funding, and has so far received 36 per
cent of all funding under this scheme.
The four successful Scottish projects are:
• Aberdeen University - £1,753,000 - Installation of a
CHP network connecting three halls of residence, with
almost 400 students, and 28 academic buildings.
• Clydebank Housing Association - £775,760 -
Installation of a CHP network connecting 400 homes, a
primary school and a hall.
• Edinburgh University - £2,691,780 - Refurbishment
of a steam based heat network, replacing CHP, to connect 19
teaching and research building on the campus.
• Midlothian Council - Installation of a CHP network
serving 500 new-build homes, a primary school, and an
office block. The heat pump will be fed from the
Monktonhall Colliery minewater renewable energy source.
The Community Energy Programme (CEP) provides capital
and development funding to refurbish existing and install
new community heating schemes. It is funded from the
Capital Modernisation Fund, and has £50 million to invest
from 2002-05
www.est.org.uk/communityenergy
Vibes Awards
Business and organisations from any sector of any type
located in Scotland have been encouraged to apply. There
are three categories: organisations with more than 250
employees; organisations with between 10 and 250 employees;
and organisations with less than 10 employees.
The VIBES awards are supported by a number of groups,
including the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise, CBI
Scotland and the Federation of Small Businesses.