Families could save hundreds of pounds on energy bills under a flagship plan to give households access to solar panels, heat pumps and batteries.
A £15billion Warm Homes Plan – billed as the biggest homes upgrade plan in British history – will help to lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty and cut bills for five million homes by 2030.
Under the scheme, the poorest families in the country could receive upgrade packages for free, including fully funded installations of solar panels and a battery, which can currently cost up to £12,000.
Households will be able to apply for government-backed low and zero interest loans to get solar panels onto rooftops, while new rules will mean every new home will come with solar panels by default. A £7,500 universal grant for heat pumps will also be offered.
Modern Eco-Friendly Home with Solar Panels (Image: D. Goug/Pexels)
Plans also include new rules to ensure landlords invest in upgrades to cut bills for renters and social tenants. This could mean upgrades to entire streets at the same time.
Keir Starmer said: “A warm home shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a basic guarantee for every family in Britain. Today’s plan marks a turning point. It will help to slash energy costs and lift up to a million people out of fuel poverty.
“This is a government bearing down on the cost-of-living crisis. By driving bills down for good and upgrading millions of homes, we’re giving people the security and the fair shot they need to get on in life.”
In addition, around six million households will receive the £150 Warm Home Discount, a one-off discount off people’s electricity bill. Every billpayer on means-tested benefits qualifies. This is on top of Rachel Reeves ’s Budget intervention to take an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from this April.
Read more: Mirror
