Energy saving home improvements
Cost of living crisis: find out what help is available
We offer a variety of schemes to support people who have difficulty paying their fuel bills or keeping their home warm.
These schemes help to increase the take-up of home energy efficiency measures and reduce fuel poverty, while also helping us reach our carbon emission reduction targets.
The Energy Saving Trust, in partnership with advice providers and energy companies, manages these schemes on our behalf through Home Energy Scotland.
Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS): area-based schemes
We fund local authorities to develop and deliver energy efficiency programmes (mainly solid wall insulation) in areas with high levels of fuel poverty. This funding is blended with Energy Company Obligation funding, owners contributions and funding from registered social landlords who may choose to insulate their homes at the same time.
The area-based schemes are designed and delivered by councils with local delivery partners. They target fuel-poor areas to provide energy efficiency measures to a large number of Scottish homes while delivering emission savings and helping reduce fuel poverty.
Since 2013 we have helped to deliver energy efficiency measures to over 100,000 households. Including 2021/2022 allocations we have made available over £482 million to local authorities.
Find out more about our area-based schemes budgets and outputs
We have published case studies about the Area Based Schemes programme and templates for local authorities to submit further case studies. See images of properties that have benefited from HEEPS funding.
Energy Efficient Scotland: Warmer Homes Scotland
This national scheme was launched in September 2015 and since then it has helped over 25,000 fuel-poor households across Scotland. It is available to households (owner-occupiers and some private rented sector tenants) who are living in or at risk of fuel poverty and who meet the qualifying eligibility criteria.
Warmer Homes Scotland has a strong focus on heating and insulation measures to improve the energy efficiency of properties making them warmer and more affordable to heat. Renewable and micro-generation measures have been made available, including ground source heat pumps, micro-wind, micro-hydro and micro-CHP systems.
More information on the scheme, including how to apply, is available on the Home Energy Scotland website.
Home Energy Scotland Loan
Home Energy Scotland delivers the loan and cashback schemes of behalf of the Scottish Government. Loans are available to owner occupiers who live in their properties and to self builders for both energy efficiency measures and renewables measures and attract up to 40% and 75% respectively, dependent on the measures being installed. Cashback is based on total cost and capped at a maximum value.
Support is available for the following measures:
- energy efficiency loan – solid wall insulation, warm air/electric storage heatings, gas connection, insulated doors, room-in-roof insulation/flat roof insulation and loft/floor/cavity wall insulation
- renewables loan – wind/hydro turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV, water heating systems, heat pumps (various) and biomass boilers/stoves
The maximum funding for energy efficiency measures is £15,000 (including a maximum cashback amount of £6,000).
You can apply for up to two home renewables systems per home up to £17,500 in total, plus an energy storage system up to a maximum of £6,000. This can include up to £11,750 cashback funding (including a £500 incentive for installation of a heat meter alongside a heat pump).
Cashback is subject to availability while funds last or until the end of the financial year – whichever comes first. Funds are reserved for customers when their loan is offered.
More information on the Home Energy Scotland Loan, including details on how to apply, is available from the Home Energy Scotland website.