Nichola Kerr, Warmer Homes Scotland customer

As the pandemic hit, nobody really knew what changes that would bring to households across the country. With many finding themselves facing reduced income following furlough or redundancy, belts were tightened and the cost of heating a home became more of a challenge.

With a young family and working in an industry hit hard by the pandemic, Glasgow based musicians Nichola and her husband began to feel the financial strain of heating their home with an inefficient heating system.

A conversation with Home Energy Scotland found that they were eligible for support through the Warmer Homes Scotland programme. Open to homeowners and private tenants, Warmer Homes Scotland can provide help worth up to £5,000 to cover the cost of energy saving home improvements, with funding from the Scottish Government.

Nichola said: “I’m a musician by trade and so is my husband. We’ve both been hit hard by the pandemic. We also have a young daughter at home. I began to claim Universal Credit which meant we were eligible for Warmer Homes Scotland support. We were referred and I have to say the process has been very slick. After an initial survey, we were eligible for a whole new heating system which included new radiators, pipework and an energy efficient boiler. The installation was clean and straightforward and I feel a lot more at ease heating my home.”

Over 22,000 homeowners and private tenants across Scotland have benefited from help from Warmer Homes Scotland since it was launched in 2015, each of them saving around £300 on their energy bills per year.

Home Energy Scotland is a network of local advice centres covering all of Scotland. Our expert advisors offer free, impartial advice on saving energy, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, greener travel and cutting water waste.

To speak to a friendly advisor about support with your energy bills, call 0808 808 2282 or complete our email contact form.