Up to £21 million will be invested in energy efficient improvements in Scotland.

The new three-year scheme will target  low income homes, carrying out essential repairs and energy saving upgrades.

Scottish Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced the ‘Help for Homes’ initiative earlier this week.

She said: “Housing is at the heart of the government’s ambitions to create a fairer and more prosperous country which includes supporting homeowners in essential upgrades to enable sustainability at home.

“We recognise there are homeowners who want to look after their homes and make them more energy efficient but are unable to afford to carry out work, particularly those who live in tenements.”

The property must have been the homeowner’s sole residence for at least 12 months. The maximum loan is 49% of the valuation.

Anh Tuan