PEEBLES is set to go greener in a pilot scheme following £470,000 in funding from the Scottish Government.

Scottish Borders Council is one of 15 local authorities who will use the funding from Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) to create a heat and energy efficiency strategy for the town.

The funding will increase the uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy in Peebles, plus expand renewable heat and address fuel poverty across the region.

Across Scotland, councils will receive a slice of £4.4 million to improve energy efficiency in homes, businesses, public buildings and community projects. 

Scottish Government Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP (pictured), said: “The SEEP pilot programme is testing new approaches to improving energy efficiency and new ways of working with the public sector. 

“[It will] test how best to increase the uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy with people and businesses in Peebles, as well as developing a long-term strategy to support the effective deployment of investment elsewhere in the Borders. This will meet our shared ambitions to expand renewable heat and address fuel poverty across the area – and Scotland as a whole.

“The Scottish Government funding is helping to unlock a larger package totalling over £12 million covering a wide range of projects across Scotland, and these pilots will ultimately help to inform deployment of the overarching SEEP programme, that will see an estimated total of up to £10 billion invested in heat and energy efficiency in the period to 2030.”

SBC said: “Data analysis shows Peebles is a high energy use town and there are potentially significant gains to be made by taking an area-based approach to improving energy efficiency by supporting households and businesses to invest in their homes and premises and to improve control of their heating systems.”