With winter just around the corner and fuel costs rising, the risk of fuel poverty on the most vulnerable members of society is an issue the Scottish Government doesn’t take lightly.
A special energy assistance scheme is be expanded to take into consideration the heating needs of those caring for vulnerable family members. Often overlooked by society, up to 7,000 carers could see a reduction in their energy bills as part of a scheme that has benefited more than 200,000 people since it was launched in 2009.
Offering energy efficiency advice, the scheme was introduced by the Scottish Government as a method of tackling fuel poverty in low-income households. To date, some 21,000 households have benefited from a variety of energy saving measures, including the installation of a new energy efficient boiler.
If you’re a carer in receipt of carers’ allowance, under the scheme you could be eligible to get cavity wall insulation or loft insulation fitted, or alternatively have a new boiler installed for free.
“By extending our energy assistance package to include people receiving carers’ allowance, we can go some way to helping around 7,000 carers reduce their heating bills and encourage greater efficiency of energy used at home,” commented Alex Neil, Scottish Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary.
“For carers, in particular, they can be called on to support family and friends 24/7, so it is vitally important that they are eligible for the right assistance and avoid falling into fuel poverty,” he added.
For more information, contact the Home Energy Scotland Hotline on 0800 512 012.
