Homeowners in Scotland can apply for interest free loans to improve their insulation, replace inefficient boilers or install small scale renewables thanks to a new government pilot scheme.

The £2m Energy Saving Scotland home loans scheme is being administered by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland. Loans of between £500 and £10,000 are available. They can be paid back monthly over a period of up to eight years. They can be used in conjunction with grants and funding from energy companies under the CERT scheme.

To access the loan scheme the work to be funded must be recommended in one of the following documents:

• Energy performance certificate
• Home energy report
  
• Home report on renewables and energy efficiency
• Energy Assistant Package stage four managing agent letter

More details about these documents is available on the EST Scotland website or by ringing your local Energy Saving Scotland advice centre on 0800 512 012.

The loan scheme was announced as the Scottish Government published its consultation on its energy efficiency action plan for scotland. Cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth John Swinney said: "A waste of energy is a waste of money and with high fuel prices and the need to cut emissions, we must all take steps to cut energy use - in our homes, in the transport we use, in businesses and across the public sector".

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