Liz Smith has said a UK Government £562 million funding package, announced recently, will help upgrade social housing and domestic properties in Perth and Kinross with deep insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.
The Conservative, who is standing for Scottish Parliament Election in the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire constituency, also welcomes the fact that the investment will see a nationwide home upgrade to help residents save up to £450 a year on their energy bills and support around 8,000 green jobs annually, including local plumbers, builders and tradespeople.
The funding will go to local authorities across the UK.
Commenting, Liz Smith said: “This funding is tremendous news and will help many residents across Perth and Kinross in terms of providing warmer, greener homes. As part of the scheme, funding will go to every Scottish and English region in order to upgrade the UK’s least energy efficient and fuel-poor homes.
“The aim is help transform more than 50,000 low-income households and social housing properties in the UK, and, in the process, support over 8,000 energy sector jobs annually, including local plumbers, builders and tradespeople.
“The scheme will include measures such as cavity wall, underfloor and loft insulation, as well as replacing gas boilers with low carbon alternatives like heat pumps where needed. It will also see the installation of solar panels on many social housing homes – helping residents on low-incomes create their own green energy to power their homes.”
Liz Smith continued: “This announcement is a down payment on the UK Government’s plan to invest in over £9 billion into eradicating fuel poverty, and once again, demonstrates the many benefits of being in the Union.”