The Scottish Government is committed to increasing uptake of renewable energy as we recognise that it will not only reduce carbon emissions and thereby help us meet our challenging climate change targets, it also increases Scotland's security of energy supply and reduces the costs of that supply for consumers. This is of particular importance to small businesses especially in these difficult economic times.
The Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The scheme provides funding to householders towards the installation of small scale renewables systems in Scottish homes, providing grants to householders of up to 30% of the costs of the installation, to a maximum of £4,000.
EST also deliver our Energy Saving Scotland small business loans scheme which provides loans from £1,000 to £100,000 at 0% fixed interest to help small businesses install measures that reduce energy consumption or to install renewable energy technologies. Please call the Energy Saving Scotland advice network, which is the EST advice line, on 0800 512 012 to find out more about these schemes.
The government funded Low Carbon Buildings Programme may also be of interest to those who wish to generate their own energy. This programme provides grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings to include households, community organisations, public, private and the non-profit sectors. Householders can apply for grants of up to £2,500 per property towards the cost of installing a certified product by a certified installer.