UK Invests £6 Billion to Improve Home and Business Energy Efficiency

The UK government has committed £6 billion to significantly upgrade home and business energy efficiency over the coming years. Key efforts will include:

– Providing insulation, efficiency upgrades, and other improvements to around 1 million homes, focusing especially on 200,000 low-income households. This will reduce energy usage and make homes warmer.

– Adding £1.5 billion in new funding to the successful Boiler Upgrade Scheme which offers homeowners grants of up to £7,500 to switch from gas boilers to more efficient electric heat pumps.

– Ensuring all new buildings meet “zero carbon ready” standards by 2025, with at least 75% lower carbon emissions compared to 2013 build requirements. This aligns with the forthcoming Future Homes and Buildings Standards.

– Spending £12.6 billion through 2028 on additional major efficiency programs like the Local Authority Retrofit Scheme, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

Overall, these efforts will cut energy use across the residential and business sectors, lowering costs and emissions. They will help millions of British families stay warm while transitioning away from fossil fuels. As Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said, improving efficiency is critical for affordable, climate-friendly economic growth.