Will a £4000 grant make you go green?

HOUSEHOLDERS are being encouraged to get their hands on some cash and save the environment in the process.

The Energy Saving Trust is pushing for more people to apply for a £4000 grant to make their houses more energy efficient.

Already the organisation has given £19million to homeowners across Scotland for systems such as solar hot water systems, ground source heat pumps, biomass heating systems and wind turbines.

Gill Davies of the Energy Saving Trust says: "What better time of year is there to nail your green credentials to the mast and reduce your carbon footprint?

"We work closely with applicants and it takes only 15 working days from grant application to knowing you'll get the cash."

The Energy Saving Trust - an independent advisory organisation - has approved close to 2300 grants during the past four years to Scots householders to make their homes more environmentally friendly.

It has seen a 1000% increase in the uptake of such grants over the past four years under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative, which is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust.

Grants are capped at £4000 and limited to two per household and have been given for renewable technologies such as solar hot water systems, ground source heat pumps and biomass heating systems.

Also eligible for funding are micro hydro-electric, automated wood fuel heating systems and wind turbines made by firms such as Glasgow manufacturer Windsave, which has sold 200 micro-wind turbines in Scotland.

Retired city solicitor Alan Barwell took advantage of a grant after moving to a new home in Blairgowrie.

He was given £4000 towards the cost of a £12,000 biomass boiler. Alan, 70, said: "Without the grant we would not have been able to afford to install the biomass boiler. The boiler has been in place for almost a year and we are very pleased with it."

For more information call the Energy Saving Trust's SCHRI on 0800 138 8858 or see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/schri
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