A family in Paisley has spent around £30,000 on transforming their ex-council house into a low carbon property.

Since 2016, solar panels and a heat pump have been installed at the three-bedroom home, as well as internal and external insulation.

The family has also purchased a solar plus battery, which stores unused solar energy so it can be used when needed the most.

Following the installation of the new technology at the semi-detached house, the property's energy performance certificate (EPC) rating has jumped to a score of 95 out of 100 after originally being in the low 50s.

The Gazette:

The Gazette:

Dad-of-three Michael McEwan said the biggest change had taken place after he added more insulation to the loft of the property, which is located in the Glenburn area of Paisley.

He told The Gazette: "That made a huge difference to the warmth of the house, it was immediately noticeable.

"It's never cold upstairs in the house, whereas before it always was, and it was the most affordable of everything we've done.

"I would also recommend the solar plus battery, it's expensive but you're never going to regret it."

The Gazette:

The Gazette:

While the family drew on their savings to pay for most of the renovations, the cost of the heat pump was mostly covered by a £10,000 grant provided by Home Energy Scotland.

Michael said: "It's not cheap to do but we're super happy with all the investment we've put into the house.

"Climate change is a big consideration for us, as we've been trying to reduce our energy usage and use renewable sources over the years.

"When I was little, climate change was a mythical thing in the future, and now I'm 42, it's visible and apparent on a daily basis, both locally and globally.

"When my kids are 42, I want to be able to say to them, 'Well, we did our bit.'

"And if everyone else does their bit as well, then maybe there's a chance for this to not get any worse, which really motivates me."

The Gazette:

The Gazette:

Michael believes that there are strong financial and environmental incentives for people to make similar changes to their homes.

He added: "There are little things you can do, even something just as simple as loft insulation will make a difference to your heating bills.

"With the external insulation, we were also able to roll maintenance work of rendering and roughcasting into one job.

"Also, if you pay less for your heating, you're putting less demand on the country's energy needs."