HEEPS: ABS funding is provided by the Scottish Government to all councils to deliver energy efficiently improvement works, with a focus on solid wall insulation, to privately owned homes to reduce levels of fuel poverty.

There is set criteria for who is eligible for the HEEPS funded wall insulation.

Funding is capped and cannot be used for the council’s own stock of homes. West Lothian Council has its own programme that targets council homes.

An update on the work of the programme was provided to the Housing Services Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) this week (28 March). Last year, the council was given over £1 million from the Scottish Government which was used to target eighty six privately owned homes in Quentin Rise and Palmer Rise, Livingston.

Since 2016, areas to have benefited include, Deans, Dedridge, Knightsridge, Howden, Ladywell and Eliburn in Livingston. Mid Calder, Pumpherston, Longridge and Armadale.

Since 2016 a total of 1,358 privately owned homes will have received external wall insulation through HEEPS funding, whilst an additional 754 council properties have received wall insulation as part of the council’s own funding and work.

It is proposed to continue to priorities funding to households in the streets that are identified to have the highest probability of families living in fuel poverty in hard to treat properties. Norman Rise is Livingston will now be included as part of this programme.

Executive councillor for housing services, George Paul, said: “It is good to know that many households are benefiting from this work and that our housing team are helping to alleviate fuel poverty in West Lothian.”