The UK government has announced the allocation of nearly £2bn in funding meaning more than 115,000 homes across England are to get upgrades to improve their energy efficiency and save residents money on their bills, it vowed.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant are collectively worth £1.4bn, to fund energy-saving measures ranging from loft insulation to new windows. An additional £1.1bn in match funding for social housing provided by local authorities, providers of social housing and charities will bring the total investment to £2.5bn to upgrade social and private homes in England, a government statement said.
The money is to go towards improvements to vulnerable households and off-gas grid homes with an EPC rating of C or below and could save tenants between £220 and £400 a year on energy bills.
These schemes could also support around 20,000 jobs in the construction and home retrofit sectors, it said.
A further £409m has been granted through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to help public sector buildings such as schools and hospitals drive down their carbon emissions. Upgraded heating systems, powered by cleaner, cheaper, renewable energy, were to be installed as part of this.
Grant Shapps, secretary of state, said: “We know this is a difficult time for families, which is why the government has covered around half a typical household’s energy bill this winter. This is a huge investment that will help households save hundreds on energy bills and see them heat their homes for less, and stay warm for longer.”
Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, said: “The UK is truly a world-leader when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and the progress we’ve made over the last decade has been remarkable. But we can’t rest on our laurels and must continue to drive forward progress, setting a standard for other countries to follow.
“Reaching net zero means considerable action from the public sector as well as private sector. Through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding allocation announced today, we are empowering public bodies to save the taxpayer hundreds of millions while packing a punch on our ambitious and necessary climate goals.”