Green energy grants awarded to Dundee households fell from 10 in 2007 to just three last year, understood to be the lowest rate in the country.

Now the Trust is urging Dundonians to start thinking green and get their applications in for a slice of a multi-million cake.

SET’s Harry Mayers said the trust was very much “open for business” and would welcome a surge in inquiries from the city’s residents.

He said, “The grants aren’t done on a competitive basis: there are simply some criteria you have to meet and then you can go ahead with your green energy scheme.

“The grants will meet up to 30% of the installation costs and that’s a figure of up to £4000 per scheme.”

Since 2003, there have been over 2500 successful grant applications for domestic renewable energy projects across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is making a further £3.5 million available under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative over a three-year period ending in 2010 to help householders who want to cut their carbon emissions.

The domestic grants are part of a £10 million-plus package that also covers small businesses and local communities. The Scottish Government hopes that by tripling funding for community microgeneration initiatives and reforming the planning system, it is putting in place incentives to encourage people to generate their own clean energy and make a contribution to the country’s sustainable energy future.

Along with residents from other cities, Dundee was shown to be lagging behind in 2007 when it came to installing green domestic energy sources, with only 10 schemes approved for grant assistance.

Latest figures show the situation last year actually worsened, with just three schemes approved for the city.

But while Dundee appears to have met renewable energy with a “wave” of apathy, the rest of Scotland seems to have warmed to the potential of green energy.

It is understood a shortage of space around the home and different housing forms, such as tenements, account for some of the difficulties facing city dwellers when it comes to installing technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and heat pumps.

Country areas, where houses tend to have some extra room, continue to scoop up the lion’s share of the millions of pounds of grant aid available for green energy.

Mr Mayers said most green energy systems could be installed in Dundee but the built-up nature of the city meant it was most suited to solar panels that provide hot water.

He said, “We would always advise that people apply basic energy efficiency measures first, but solar hot water is next up on the shopping list.

“The ‘pay back’ time — the length of time it takes before energy savings have paid for the installation costs — varies with each system but with increases in non-renewable fuel costs such as gas and electricity, renewable energy is becoming more attractive for people.

“The energy trust has a home help service where an adviser will come out to your home, speak to you and give you help and advice about the system that’s best suited to your needs.

“This is purely for the consumer’s benefit so that he or she has the best information about the options. We have millions of pounds available for grants and would love to hear from anyone in Dundee who would like to consider a renewable energy system.”

The trust’s home help number is 0800 512012.