Council / Company opens Lerwick base ahead of energy efficiency and insulation works
HOMES around Shetland are set to be offered energy efficiency and home insulation improvements after the opening of a new business in Toll Clock Shopping Centre.
Warmworks is an organisation which tackles fuel poverty across Scotland, and which opened its new offices in Lerwick yesterday (Thursday).
Shetland Islands Council signed a long-term contract with the firm this year to speed up the installation of energy efficiency measures to local homes.
In the past years, the SIC has struggled to spend the £1.1 million it gets from the Scottish Government annually for energy efficiency measures.
As result fewer homes have been made more energy efficient through insulation and/or the installation of an air source pump than could have been.
It also has resulted in long waiting times for people entitled to this publicly funded work.
Warmworks is in the isles to support the delivery of the new Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland: Area-Based Scheme, which is funded through the Scottish Government.
It aims to help homes be heated more affordably, making fuel bills more manageable for residents, with Warmworks the managing agent for the project.
The company will oversee the end-to-end delivery process on behalf of the council, working with a range of local sub-contractors to get the work completed.
Environment and transport committee chairwoman Moraig Lyall attended Warmworks’ opening and said it was “very reassuring to know that people in the local community are able to speak to the organisation delivering this scheme, face to face.
“We want to ensure that more people benefit from warmer, more energy efficient homes and we’re looking forward to working with Warmworks to make that happen here in Shetland,” she added.
Warmworks’ chief executive Ross Armstrong said that the Lerwick office would allow people to come in and see how the scheme could help them.
“It’s really important that we’re not just a voice on the end of the phone,” he said.
“Having an office in Lerwick means people can come in and see us, have a chat, and find out more about how the scheme can help them, so anyone interested in finding out more, please come by and speak with the team.
“We know that these communities have some of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the country, and it is critical for us to get it right for local people.”
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