The Prime Minister today announced a £1 billion Home Energy Saving Programme which could save households over £300 every year.
The programme will provide assistance to households who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty and will give help with their bills this winter through the winter fuel payments.
Read the full details of the Energy Saving Programme (pdf)
One of the key proposals is an estimated £910 million commitment from energy companies to invest in making homes more energy efficient, this is in addition to their existing obligation to spend £2.8 billion over the next three years helping customers save energy.
Around £560 million of this £910 million will add to the existing energy efficiency programme CERT, which funds subsidised improvements such as loft and cavity wall insulation. Eleven million elderly and low income households qualify for these measures at no cost. This extra funding could benefit up to two million households.
The remaining £350 million of the £910million from energy companies will go towards a new Community Energy Saving Programme. Throughout the country, local councils, voluntary organisations and energy companies will carry out house-to-house calls to offer help in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. This could result in as many as 100 schemes across the country.
The PM’s aim is the insulation of all Britain’s homes, where practical, by 2020.
The Goverment is also launching a nationwide advertising campaign to help inform people of the support available and encourage people to shop around for the best energy deals.
Further proposals for those at risk of fuel poverty include:
- increasing Cold Weather Payments from £8.50 to £25 a week for winter 2008/9
- extra £74 million in funds for the Warm Front scheme offering energy efficiency measures to low income and pensioner households.
The measures announced today are in addition to funding which was part of the last Budget which include:
- an extra £50 for those over 60 for their Winter Fuel Payment and an extra £100 for those over 80
- discounted tariffs to benefit around 600,000 customers by the end of the year
- consultation on legislation to reduce unjustifiably high charges by energy companies
DEFRA - Energy and Climate Change
You can see the latest TV ad promoting the ‘Save Money, Save Energy’ campaign here on the ‘Act on CO2′ website
http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/
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