Pressure on for community energy schemes in Scotland

21/08/2009

The Scottish government is being pressured to invest in community energy schemes after trials in the Seaton district of Aberdeen proved successful in reducing energy bills.

Scottish enterprise minister Jim Mather will today visit the area to witness the effect that the community initiative has had on cutting household energy bills down to size.

In a statement made to the Aberdeen Press & Journal, Labour party energy spokesperson Lewis Macdonald said the minister is likely to be very impressed by the initiative.

"What he should do next is bring forward the funding required to extend Aberdeen's scheme to serve the city centre and provide financial support for new schemes such as that proposed for Craigmillar in Edinburgh," he said.

The Combined Heat and Power system was originally launched in the Stockethill area of Aberdeen, with another cluster brought online in Hazelhead in April 2006, bringing low-cost energy thousands of households and helping to tackle fuel poverty in the city.