Take up of the energy efficiency scheme has been low, according to the environment minister.

Clare Barber was asked about the success of the Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture scheme by Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher in the House of Keys sitting on Tuesday.

The scheme is operated by DEFA and its objective is to assist people to make their homes more energy efficient by investing in improvements.

It’s open to homeowners and private renters but was developed to support lower income families.

Applicants must fall below a certain income level criteria.

This scheme is ’not rigid’ in what it will pay grants towards but instead ’it must be shown that the grant payment will improve energy efficiency in the home’, said Mrs Barber.

She said in the sitting: ’My department is confident that the take up of the scheme is low and we will be looking to improve awareness of it.’

The minister added that it would be reviewing the scheme to make application easier.

Since July 2018, when it was established, the department has received 143 applications for grants. Of those, 117 applications have been approved.

To date, ’only 88% of approved applications have resulted in grant claims’, said the minister.

She added: ’Total payments under the energy efficiency scheme over the past three years is £19,779.66.’

Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas made the point that lower income households ’may not be worried’ about replacing lightbulbs for energy efficiency if they’ve ’got damp coming through their ceilings’. Mrs Barber said it wasn’t ’just about replacing lightbulbs’.