Homes, businesses, public buildings and community projects across Scotland are to receive an energy efficiency upgrade thanks to £4.4 million of new funding from the Scottish Government.

Fifteen local authorities will use the Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) funding to deliver innovative ways to reduce emissions and tackle fuel poverty.

A coordinated programme to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in the commercial, public and industrial sectors, the new SEEP will commence in 2018 with substantial annual public funding coupled with new powers for the Scottish Parliament over the regulated energy suppliers.

To help inform SEEP the Scottish Government is working with stakeholders to test different approaches to improving the energy efficiency of Scotland’s buildings. The successful Phase 1 pilots were announced in October 2016 with £9.1m being awarded to 11 local authorities. These Phase 1 pilots are due to finish in December 2017. The Phase 2 pilots will finish by February 2019.

List of recipients and projects for Phase 2 funding:

Minister for business, innovation and energy, Paul Wheelhouse, was at Saughton Park in Edinburgh to help install two large-scale ground source heat pumps to provide renewable heat to both the Winter Garden and new building developments.

This project is the first of its kind in Scotland, maximising the potential offered by parks and green spaces to provide renewable heat.

The project will create jobs during the construction phase, generate savings for the council, and will also have a significant focus on community engagement.

Mr Wheelhouse said: “The SEEP Pilot programme is testing new approaches to improving energy efficiency and new ways of working in the public sector.

“A number of these projects will have a material impact on people’s lives, ensuring they have warm homes, businesses and community centres, while others will help develop essential strategies to support the effective deployment of investment to meet our ambitions to expand renewable heat and address fuel poverty.

“The Scottish Government funding announced today is helping to unlock a larger package totalling over £12m covering a wide range of projects across Scotland, and these pilots will ultimately help 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.”

Stephanie Clark, policy manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme aims to both reduce the amount of heat which is lost from homes and businesses and to decarbonise the way that heat is supplied.

“Both those aims are important if we are to tackle climate change while helping the 31% of Scottish households in fuel poverty.

“This funding targets both those aims and will provide benefits to communities as well as valuable financial savings for the local authorities which are involved.”