UK Energy Secretary pledges £1bn to heat homes

Grant Shapps has introduced a new Eco+ scheme which aims to make middle-income homes more energy efficient through insulation.

Born in Hertfordshire, Mr Shapps, the current Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has announced thousands of homes across the country will receive loft and cavity wall insulation, saving consumers around £310 a year. 

The announcement has come as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. Current rising costs are leaving some areas of the country facing power cuts and 40% of British families facing fuel poverty this winter, warns Michael Lewis, Chief Executive of E.ON UK.

The government have said the scheme will prioritise people who are on means-tested benefits or in fuel poverty.

Mr Shapps has said around 80% of funding will be made available for those households who are in some of the least energy efficient homes in the country – those with an EPC rating of D or below.

In addition to the insulation scheme, £18m will be spent on a public information campaign giving advice about how to save energy, which includes reducing boiler flow temperatures to 60 degrees and turning down radiators in empty rooms, which could help households save £160 annually, according to the government. 

The Energy Secretary said, ‘The government put immediate help in place to support households in the wake of global energy price rises caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine.

‘Today we launch the first of many measures to ensure the British public is never put in this position again as we work towards an energy-independent future.’

Currently, almost a fifth of UK emissions come from buildings, according to the UK Climate Change Committee and Britain is said to have the leakiest housing stock in Europe, with as many as 19 million homes requiring better insulation.

However, in response to the governments new project, Georgia Whitaker, Greenpeace UK energy campaigner has warned the funding is not enough as almost seven million homes are already suffering from fuel poverty.

‘This is a drop in the ocean compared to what people actually need to stay warm and well this winter and, in the winters to come,’ she said. ‘At least £6bn is needed by the end of this Parliament for a nationwide insulation programme that will not only help reduce our emissions but will also reduce the terrible levels of fuel poverty in the UK.’

The new Eco+ programme will come into effect in Spring 2023 and will run for three years.

Photo by Erik Mclean