As many as 10,000 householders could get help to cut their fuel bills this winter, as the Scottish Government announces a £6 million fund for improving insulation.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the money would make homes "warmer and cheaper to heat", but in a report last week, environmental charity WWF Scotland said more than £6 billion is needed for Scotland to achieve its commitment to end fuel poverty by 2016.
While it welcomed the money, WWF Scotland said the £6 million "falls well short of what is required".
Ms Sturgeon said the funding would go towards energy efficiency measures such as loft insulation and cavity-wall insulation, under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme.
In addition. up to 35,000 people will be able to get a £500 voucher to contribute towards the cost of making their home more energy efficient. People across Scotland can apply for the vouchers from the start of next month.
Ms Sturgeon made the announcement as she visited a Lochfield Park housing association home in Easterhouse, Glasgow that has recently had insulation fitted. "With temperatures dropping and colder weather beginning to bite, households across Scotland will be worrying about their winter energy bills," the Deputy First Minister said.
"Solid action is absolutely imperative. That is why we have ploughed an additional £6 million into providing up to 10,000 households with free insulation that will make their homes warmer and cheaper to heat and invested millions into a cashback voucher scheme that is due to go live later this week.
Devolved efforts to tackle fuel poverty are being held back by the "punishing price rises imposed by energy companies", she said and demanded more action from the UK to tackle this. Ms Sturgeon said: "The UK Government, who has responsibility for this area, is simply not doing enough to regulate the market, and this has to change urgently."
Elizabeth Leighton, a senior policy officer with WWF Scotland, said the funding is a "very welcome boost to households concerned about energy bills this winter, but still falls well short of what is required if Scotland's climate and fuel poverty targets are to be met".
WWF Scotland said 800,000 households in Scotland are in fuel poverty. Ms Leighton said: "The £6 million will go some way to plugging the gap this year but, in the long term, our research shows that the Scottish Government needs to double its funding for fuel poverty and home energy efficiency."
