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Heating Bills Slashed?

STRANRAER PEOPLE could find their heating bills slashed this winter as they connect into the gas network for the first time.

And there is the prospect of piped gas becoming available in villages such as Leswalt, Portpatrick and Glenluce in the longer term. Around 500 households in Ochtrelure and homes to the east of McMaster's Road have never been able to opt for gas because mains were never laid to those areas.

Now, E. S. Pipelines, a Surrey-based company, have applied for a licence to extend the existing network. And they claim that the cost of connection could be as low as £300 per house - a sum that could be saved in as little as a year in reduced heating and cooking costs.

This week, Councillor Robert Higgins, who has fought a long-campaign for such a move, said

"It seems at last that my dream is coming to fruition".

A survey to ascertain likely demand will start soon. If around half of the householders sign up initially, that would be enough to trigger the £500,000 scheme. Ultimate aim would be to supply 75 per cent of the homes within five years with an average of 750 therms of gas a year.