Councils and social landlords can apply for a share of a £4.5 million pot for energy efficiency improvements in Scotland.

It is part of the Scottish Government’s Green Homes Cashback scheme, which provides funding to individual homes and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) towards the cost of energy-saving measures such as boiler upgrades and home insulation.

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: “Energy efficiency measures can make a huge difference to families who are struggling to make ends meet and social landlords will now be able to apply for up to £250,000 in funding to help drive down the cost of tenants’ fuel bills.

“By passing on these long term reductions to their consumers, companies will be able to reduce bills year on year, in contrast to the UK Government’s short term fix.”

The initiative is the equivalent to the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) launched in England and Wales earlier this month.