Grants will be delivered courtesy of Scottish Government Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery (LACER) funding in response to steep rise in the cost of heating costs. It adds to the £400,000 made available via Angus HeatWell from October 2022.

Angus Council’s Communities convener, Cllr Mark McDonald, said: “The Angus HeatWell (Round 2) scheme can make a difference to those struggling to heat their homes and help to address the pressures facing local residents.

“Angus HeatWell has already made a significant difference to resident in the area, assisting a total of 1,598 households with the increased cost of living and, as a result, benefitting almost 1500 children up to the end of March.”

The financial assistance scheme is open to householders in Angus with prepayment meters, direct debit accounts and oil accounts and is being delivered by north-east charity, Scarf on the council’s behalf.

Subject to eligibility, it can provide £147 of fuel vouchers to single occupancy households, or £294 of fuel vouchers to households with families of two or more occupants. Access to vouchers is subject to further eligibility criteria, including total household income and receipt of benefits.

Lawrence Johnston, co-chief executive at Scarf, added: “We are very pleased to continue to work with Angus Council to bring vital support to householders in the area.

“This second round of HeatWell funding will provide crucial financial assistance to those in need. We encourage all potentially eligible householders to get in touch to apply and receive extended support from our wider advice services.”