According to today's Courier more than 14,000 elderly Scots had free central heating systems installed over the last year. The Central Heating Programme installed 14.430 systems in 2008/09, the highest ever annual total. During that time the number of people waiting for systems nearly halved, while the average wait fell to around five months. Under the previous administration in 2006-07, there were 10,238 private central heating installations.
The Warm Deal Programme has also been a success, with insulation measures installed in 6018 homes - 1000 more than the original target. That should please Patrick Harvie a little.
Earlier this month both the Central Heating and Warm Deal programmes were phased out. They have been replaced with the £60m Energy Assistance Package. Alex Neil said, "For the second year running record numbers of central heating systems have been installed in private homes by the government." The government claims the Energy Assistance Package will provide a one-stop shop for reducing fuel poverty.
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8 comments:
Subrosa,
My Grand Parents were able to benefit from this last year and have had a new boiler and radiators fitted.
They worked all their life, bought their cooncil hoose, paid crazy amounts of tax and because my Grannie had won Spot-the-ba on the back o' the P&J she hasn't been entitled to much during her retirement!
Nice to see them warm in their 80s and hopefully around a bit longer to enjoy the love of their family.
A good idea that's continued/improved under the SNP and benefitted Scotland's pensioners - now that's responsible socialism - finally!
Long may it continue, there's no excuse for people in our country dying due to fuel poverty - the North Sea is full of the stuff, why are we being exploited by Westminster?
That good to hear CD, I'm pleased for them. Also your granny must have a good eye to win Spot the Ba'.
As you say this is socialism working. Wasn't it just a few months ago that Ian Gray accused Alex Salmond of not installing the systems? Think it was an FMQs session. Shows how many lies labour will tell to try and brainwash their electorate.
I worked, indirectly, with the Warm Deal programme and it really is one of those undeniably positive policies, helps those we all agree need it, and doesn't exactly cost the earth.
Call it socialism, call it simply good policy, it's these things that make the difference to people.
Hi PD, I had my loft topped up by warm deal and it was around 30% cheaper than anyone else. I got a discount for being old you see :-)
This is great news. It was a national disgrace that shamed us all that old folks were dying of hypothermia in a country rich in oil. Well done SNP.
One of the best things that a government can do for the people of its country is to ensure that they can keep warm. As Nichola points out, this is particularly true in an oil rich country.
It would be some weird kind of person who found something to criticise in this programme.
But but...Andy Kerr Labours heid shroud waver says that the SNP have stopped the heating scheme and that pensioners are dying like flies having eaten their cats and dogs and suffered unspeakable degaradation as a result of Alex Salmonds derelection and bwoken promithes, and further Alex Salmond has eaten some pensioners as well.
Hi KW, I said something like that earlier to Daisy but of course you say it so much better :)
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