Extra cash needed to make homes more energy efficient, says charity
A charity has urged the Scottish Government to boost funding to help make homes more energy efficient to £256 million a year.
housing
Rents falls in Aberdeen on oil price drop
All parts of Scotland except one have seen increases in the average cost of renting a standard-sized home over the last year, figures show.
Families paid out less for gas and electricity in 2014 despite rising prices
Households paid out less for gas and electricity last year despite rising prices, while otherwise mainly increasing their spending in a sign of consumer confidence, according to latest figures. Families spent 10p a week less on electricity and 30p less on gas in 2014, even though the price of both increased, mainly because of warmer weather and better home insulation, according to the Family Spending report from the Office for National Statistics. One of the biggest falls in spending over the last 15 years has been on cigarettes, with the average household now spending £3.40 a week - down from £3.50 in 2013 and £4 in 2012 - and only 800 of the 5,130 households in the survey buying any at all.
Housing starts to fall in Canada on oil and supply, CMHC says
Canadian housing starts will decline in the next two years on a weaker economy and with builders seeking to avoid oversupply, the federal housing agency said. The pace of work on new homes will fall to 178,150 units in 2016 from 186,900 this year, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp. said Monday from Ottawa, and again to 173,650 units in 2017.