The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) Flexible Eligibility scheme focuses on supporting low income and vulnerable households with grants for energy efficient measures such as insulation, draught-proofing and heating upgrades.

The council will work in partnership with SCARF to deliver the grants, and will see an approved list of contractors engage with residents.

Suppliers will carry out an assessment of eligible applicants’ homes to identify the most appropriate energy efficiency enhancing measures and provide information on how best to receive funding.

Neighbourhood Services Committee convener, Councillor Heather Anderson, said: “The council has committed to taking up the ECO4 grant funding in partnership with SCARF to ensure more residents in the city benefit from energy efficiency measures to their homes.

“The scheme helps qualifying householders with the necessary green improvements to their homes which can require for less energy to heat their home, leading to positive impacts on their personal finances while also being more sustainable for the local environment.

“We know, for some, without such grants, it simply wouldn’t be an option to look at boosting the energy performance of their home. There are specific criteria to be met for the scheme, however I strongly urge those who qualify to take this forward.

“The scheme is designed to alleviate fuel poverty and uses trusted suppliers to take residents through the process of how best to carry out the appropriate upgrade works to their home.”