The UK Government says its Warm Homes Plan will deliver £15 billion of public investment and will roll out upgrades to up to 5 million homes, leading to lower energy bills.
Home insulation installations fell by more than 90% between 2010 and 2024, the UK Government says, adding that the plan would also bring down the costs of solar panels and heat pumps.
Homeowners will be able to apply for government-backed low and zero interest loans to install solar panels.
These loans will also be available for batteries and heat pumps. Low-income households and those in fuel poverty could receive support that would cover the full cost of having solar panels put on their rooftop, or insulation installed, alongside new rules to ensure landlords invest in upgrades to cut bills for renters and social tenants.
Prime Minister 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.”
The UK Government said it would work in close partnership with devolved governments to ensure that bill savings from the transition to clean energy technologies are felt in all in parts of the UK, including Wales. It added that this will build on existing work by the Welsh Government such as the Warm Homes Nest scheme targeted at low income households, and the Green Home Wales Scheme.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“Our Government is already cutting costs on energy bills for thousands of people across Wales and the new Warm Homes Plan goes further.
“We are rolling out technologies like solar, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can help families save hundreds of pounds a year on their bills, lifting thousands out of fuel poverty.
“Our plan will also put Welsh workers at the heart of the clean energy revolution, with the potential to support thousands of new high-skilled jobs in clean heating and energy efficiency by 2030.”
