- Improving energy efficiency of croft homes.
Scotland’s crofters will get help with high energy costs through
new grant funding to improve the energy efficiency of their
homes.
Through an extension to the Scottish Government's Croft House
Grant, crofters can now apply for grants of up to £38,000 towards
the costs of home improvements which will help them save energy -
such as loft or wall insulation, new zero direct emissions
heating systems or upgraded windows and doors.
The grant scheme supports crofters to improve their homes, or
build new homes - allowing them to maximise the full potential of
their crofts and to retain and attract people to remote and rural
communities.
Over the past year, the Scottish Government has awarded
over £1 million in grant funding to help crofters across
Scotland build and improve their homes.
Minister for Energy and the Environment said:
“The climate emergency and energy crisis has highlighted the need
for energy efficiency improvements to existing housing stocks.
There are approximately 21,400 crofts in Scotland, and many of
these have existing houses which have not been built to the high
energy efficiency standards required today.
“Crofting plays such an important part in the long-term
sustainability of our rural and island areas. And crofters in
remote and rural areas are disproportionately affected by high
energy costs and the cost of living. Until now the UK Government
has provided no targeted to these households and businesses, who
need it the most.
“At a time when costs are rising, I hope that the introduction of
energy efficiency measures to the Croft House Grant will help
support people to continue to live and work in these remote and
often fragile communities.
“This government has a track record of investing to improve croft
housing. Since January 2007, over £24.4 million in Croft
House Grant payments have helped to build and improve over 1,100
croft homes.”
Background
Croft House Grant
(ruralpayments.org)
In the National Development Plan for Crofting, published in March
2021, the Scottish Government committed to continuing to invest
in works that improve the energy efficiency of current and future
croft homes.
