I am pleased to report that Dundee City Council recently made a bid to the Scottish Government for additional funding for energy efficiency measures - the Capital Stimulus Programme. As recently discussed at the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee, the bid was successful and the funding will be used to carry out a programme of underfloor insulation for ground floor council tenants in the Logie area, together with some other areas.
The properties that will achieve the greatest benefit from this type of work are those with particularly deep under-floor areas and tenants should notice a marked improvement in their warmth and comfort after the insulation has been installed. There is a variation in the depth between different properties in the same street and, for this reason, there will be some sample underfloor surveys before the council can determine the flats that need the work and identify those with sufficient underfloor areas to allow the contractor to work safely.
The work itself entails applying rolled insulation material to the underside of the floor and keeping it in place with nets that are fixed to the underside of the floor joists. Some flats already have hatches which allow access to the underbuilding but, for those that do not and where there is a deep underbuilding, new hatches will need to be cut to allow the work to proceed.
It is likely that the work will start early in the new year but identified properties were advised over the weekend of the possibility of a survey before Christmas.
I asked the council's Service Manager Housing about how owner-occupiers can also be helped and he advises : "This scheme is for tenants only but owners can approach Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 to determine whether they are eligible for free insulation/heating measures (this is means tested)."
Do please contact me if you have any queries - my hone number is 459378.