Taskforce set to shut out cold weather

But a taskforce has been set up in the Capital to help change that by introducing simple, low-cost measures which could shave hundreds off residents' heating bills.

The Warm Tenements Project – led by the Changeworks environmental agency – is aiming to persuade householders that improving their tenement's energy efficiency need not cost a fortune.

Simple steps like draft-proofing communal stair doors can make a big difference to the temperature inside tenement blocks.

Insulating a loft can cost as little as 250 – with the bill shared between householders – and can save around 30 per cent of heat escaping from top-floor flats and seven per cent from those on the ground floor.

The average financial saving from insulating a loft is as much as 115 a year, meaning the measure can pay for itself within two or three years, and last for at least another 40 years.

Project officer Roddy Hamilton said: "Tenements have often been seen as 'hard to treat', so they have been somewhat neglected in the past in terms of energy efficiency.

"We are hoping that if people see they can save money, they will come on board. As well as measures to the communal areas of tenements, we will also be encouraging people to make low-cost changes in their own properties, such as fitting low-energy light bulbs, hot water tank jackets, pipe insulation and radiator panels to reflect heat back into a room."

Many residents may also be eligible for grants to help with more costly energy-saving measures in their homes.

Residents in Portobello and the New Town are taking part in a pilot project, with Newhaven Road-based Changeworks looking for more volunteers.

Changeworks staff have been approaching tenement blocks with residents' associations, factors and property managers in an effort to secure support.

In Edinburgh, 45 per cent of housing is in tenements, with more than half of these being traditional stone-built before 1919. They are often considered hard to treat, as most cannot have cavity wall insulation and many, for heritage reasons, have to keep traditional sash windows.

Mr Hamilton said: "If the pilot project is successful, we are hoping to be able to get more people on board. In a year's time, it would be great to see this scheme having been a success across Scotland – not just Edinburgh."

For more information on the project, call Roddy Hamilton on 0131-538 7937.