Budget: WWF welcomes free home insulation scheme
3 February 2010
Scotland’s homeowners urged to take up offers to ensure houses are 'warmer and healthier'
Scotland’s homes will be ‘warmer and healthier’ thanks to measures included in the Scottish Budget passed by MSP's today, but more cash is needed if all homes are to be low carbon according to WWF Scotland.
The environmental organisation welcomed the government’s increased £10 million investment in the Home Insulation Scheme and in particular the fact that this additional cash will offer free loft and cavity wall insulation to those in the scheme. However the amounts put forward fall well short of what is required if the housing sector is to play its full part in delivering Scotland’s 42 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and we are to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.
Elizabeth Leighton, Senior Policy Officer said:
“Today’s budget is a big step in the right direction, . The additional money towards a free insulation scheme is to be welcomed as this approach has been shown to be cost-effective in addressing both carbon emissions and fuel poverty.
“However we believe around £270 million is required to help the government meet two of its key targets - reducing carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020 and to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. More cash for the Home Insulation Scheme and the Energy Assistance Package would help meet these goals as well as generate a market for green jobs – but what is on the table falls well short of this.”
WWF Scotland also welcomed the introduction of a boiler scrappage scheme to ensure Scotland does not miss out on what English householders can already benefit from.
Notes to Editors
[1] Budget (Scotland) (No.4) Bill
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/37-Budget4/index.htm
[2] Achieving Our Potential
http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/achieving_our_potential.pdf
[3] WWF Scotland is part of Stop Climate Chaos, an alliance of development, environment and civil society groups aiming for tougher action to reduce emissions - http://stopclimatechaosscotland.org
