Published on:
24
August 2012
Clackmannanshire residents are already feeling the heat, after a £3.5 million energy efficiency programme aimed at improving warmth around the house and at the same time slashing fuel bills.
Almost 700 homes around the county will benefit from the Council's energy efficiency initiatives since works began.
The works being carried out are only available in areas of Clackmannanshire identified as CESP areas - Community Energy Saving Programme.
Housing Committee Convenor, Councillor Les Sharp, said: "There will be significant savings to the Council as a result of these works being carried out and the millions of pounds worth of investment. They will also be of major benefit to the tenants immediately in terms of the reduction of fuel costs and energy bills.
"The Council has a clear commitment to energy efficiency and various projects are already underway around the county. Maximising energy efficiency and targeting fuel poverty is something which has been highlighted as a major priority for this Council.
"This is a one-off opportunity and one, which it is believed, is unlikely to be repeated."
Thermal overcladding at Carseview, Tullibody, began in the third week of July with a programme to be completed by December.
A massive 221 homes, 110 Council properties and 111 private houses at Carseview, are being thermally insulated over the next five months. The £2 million expenditure for these projects has been 100 per cent grant funded. The thermal overcladding has also been offered to private homes at no cost to either the owners or the Council.
This year alone the Council has contracts currently being carried out to upgrade 250 gas central heating systems, including electric to gas installations.
Vice Convenor of Housing, Provost Tina Murphy, said: "We have been waiting for many years for new central heating installations to come to Carseview and it will be good news for all our homeowners for many years to come with reduced heating bills."
In addition at Bowmar, Alloa, the programme to over clad 170 houses and install new central heating systems will be completed by the end of the year.
Central heating upgrade works began in June by and the start of August more than 140 systems have been upgraded and contracts are in place to complete the work by the end of the year. A further review has since identified a further 97 homes in Clackmannanshire that require upgrading and are eligible for grant funding.
Councillor Sharp added: "It was initially planned to carry out works on 600 inefficient gas and electric centrally heated properties."
On Thursday the Housing Committee provisionally approved £200,000 to be brought forward from the energy efficiency funding in the 2013/14 budget, the council's contribution to the works making best use of available grant funding.