The Scottish Government has launched a new £500,000 interest free loan scheme for householders installing micro-energy generating equipment. Loans will be available for a range of renewable heat and electricity technologies, such as heat pumps, solar panels, micro-wind turbines, or biomass boilers.
People installing the electricity technologies will be eligible for payments for feeding any of their surplus electricity into the national grid.
The money will also help domestic customers install renewable heat equipment who have been excluded from support by the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive until next year.
The loans will be time-limited and operated on a first come first served basis. The scheme will be open on April 1 and loans will be capped at £2,000. Interested people should call the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Network on 0800 512 012 or see the Energy Trust website.
"Scotland is going greener and the wide take up of small scale technologies will be vital to become a truly low carbon economy," said Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather.
"Low cost, low carbon heating technologies, especially attractive in areas off the gas grid, will cut emissions and support jobs in the manufacturing and installation industry. Yet households will unfortunately not be eligible for the UK Government's incentive mechanisms for renewable heat until 2012, so our new loans will help householders fill a gap left behind by this short sighted move."
The money for the fund comes from underspends in energy budget in 2010-2011, as many applicants previously offered Scottish Government renewables support opted not to take up a grant as a result of delays to the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive.
The Scottish Government has also been reducing the planning burden for people and businesses wishing to install green energy technologies such as solar panels and underground heat pumps. Many householders can erect equipment without the need, in some circumstances, for planning permission.