Tag: Energy Security and Net Zero Department

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 6 June 2025.

New homeowners stand to benefit from rooftop solar and cheaper bills, with the Future Homes Standard being published this Autumn.

Working people stand to save hundreds of pounds off their energy bills as the government confirms new build homes will have solar panels by default, unleashing a rooftop revolution.

Ministers are publishing the Future Homes Standard this autumn and have confirmed today (Friday 6 June) that solar panels will be included, leading to installation on the vast majority of new build homes.

Illustrating the benefits of solar panels, a typical existing UK home could save around £530 a year from installing rooftop solar, based on the current energy price cap.

This means today’s new proposals could significantly cut energy bills for the recipients of new build homes, tackling the cost of living for aspirational young families and new house buyers.

Under proposed changes, new homes will also have low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and high levels of energy efficiency, cutting people’s energy bills and boosting the nation’s energy security with clean, homegrown power, in line with the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

To deliver these aims, the proposed Future Homes Standard would see building regulations amended to explicitly promote solar for the first time, subject to practical limits with flexibility in place for new homes surrounded by trees or with lots of shade overhead.

From switching on the kettle to cooking dinner and doing the weekly wash, families will now be able to seize the benefits of powering their lives with clean, renewable energy from the very first day in their new home, with cheaper energy bills that put more money back in their pockets.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Solar panels can save people hundreds of pounds off their energy bills, so it is just common sense for new homes to have them fitted as standard.

So many people just don’t understand why this doesn’t already happen. With our plans, it will.

Today marks a monumental step in unleashing this rooftop revolution as part of our Plan for Change, and means new homeowners will get lower bills with clean home-grown power.

Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said:

As part of the government’s Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes, we are maximising the use of renewable energy to cut people’s bills and power their homes.

The Future Homes Standard will ensure new homes are modern and efficient with low-carbon heating, while our common-sense planning changes will now make it easier and cheaper for people to use heat pumps and switch to EVs so they can play their part in bolstering our nation’s energy security.

After legislation came into force last week, more homeowners will now be able to install a heat pump within one metre of their property’s boundary without having to submit a planning application, unlocking even more savings and cutting unnecessary paperwork for working people.

With figures from Octopus showing that 34% of those who order a heat pump are discouraged or drop out for reasons attributed to the need to submit a planning application, this change will help families who may have less space outside their home make the upgrade to clean power.

The first quarter of 2025 saw a record number of applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, up 73% from the same quarter in 2024.

The scheme provides households with up to £7,500 off the cost of a heat pump, which can save families around £100 a year by using a smart tariff effectively.

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive, Solar Energy UK, said:

The solar industry is very glad to hear that almost all new homes will be fitted with solar power from under the Future Homes Standard. Making solar panels a functional requirement of the Building Regulations will cut energy bills, lower carbon emissions, help drive polluting natural gas off the grid and improve our nation’s energy security, too.

Aadil Qureshi, Co-Founder and CEO, Heat Geek, said:

Installing a heat pump, particularly alongside solar panels is an amazing way for homeowners to save hundreds of pounds on their energy bills and create a more comfortable home. The simplification of planning rules will help millions of homeowners, particularly in normal family homes in towns and cities, take advantage of this technology.

Charles Wood, Deputy Director of Policy (Systems) at Energy UK, said:

The addition of rooftop solar to the Future Homes Standard is welcome and necessary in ensuring that homes built today are fit for the future. Building homes to the right standards now will deliver immediate benefits of warmer, more comfortable, and more cost-efficient homes, preventing the need to retrofit these properties later at higher costs to the customer.

This change, alongside wider reforms to planning processes and network connections, will reduce bills for people in new build properties while also giving the industry confidence to invest in increased manufacturing and installer training as demand increases, creating jobs and bringing down technology costs for everyone.

Ensuring our future energy security relies on producing more British power, the electrification of our economy and cutting waste. The energy sector continues to deliver energy efficiency improvements and install low-carbon heating, generation, and transport technologies for households and businesses across the country.

Chris O’Shea CEO of Centrica, said:

The age of solar is well and truly upon us, with millions of households up and down the country already benefiting from generating their own free electricity from the sun. Our research shows that customers can shrink their energy bills by 90% when they combine solar and battery with the right energy tariff, and this announcement means even more households can soak up the savings—and the sunshine—by generating their own clean, free electricity. And with the Future Home Standard expected in the Autumn, momentum is building behind Great Britain’s rooftop revolution.

Jack Brayshaw, Head of Technical Innovation at Vistry Group, said:

Vistry is wholeheartedly committed to the use of low-carbon technology – developing sustainable homes and communities is at the core of what we do.

Over the past year alone, we have installed solar panels on nearly 10,000 homes, and solar panels and electric car chargers are part of our standard specification.

Vistry is proud to be leading the way on sustainable placemaking, but we know that this is more to be done. Working with our partners, we have also been increasing the number of air source heat pumps we install on-site and exploring other measures, such as heat recovery, to promote low-carbon technologies while reducing energy bills for our customers.

Through our unique partnerships model, we are committed to working with the government to optimise the benefits of low-carbon technology, future-proofing homes across the country.

Ed Lockhart, Chief Executive, Future Homes Hub, said:

The Future Homes Standard represents a major opportunity to build a generation of higher performing new homes. Moving to all electric homes, with photovoltaics, a better fabric system, better ventilation and smart technologies to optimise the way new homes use energy means that new homes will not only be better for the planet but also more comfortable, healthier to live in and cheaper to run for customers.

The Future Homes Hub is ready to support this mission, bringing homebuilders, social housing providers, suppliers, financial institutions and other experts together to work with government departments to find the best solutions to secure the benefits of the Future Homes Standard whilst accelerating housing delivery, crucially helping smaller developers to get the right support at the right time.

Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director at Octopus Energy, said:

People deserve lower energy bills, and adding solar panels to a house as it’s built is an incredibly effective way to slash costs from day one.

With the right smart tech and storage added to the mix, some households won’t have to pay a penny for energy.

We’re delighted to see the Future Homes Standard enable house builders to now build the homes of the future.

Matthew Hart, Director of Residential New Build at E.ON Next, said:

Ensuring that every new home comes equipped with solar panels is a vital step forward for the UK. Our vision at E.ON has always been to make clean, affordable energy the standard, not the exception, and this move will empower homeowners to take control of their energy use and keep bills low from day one. It’s exactly the kind of bold, practical action we need to build a more secure, low-carbon future for everyone.

Mark Wakeford, National Chairman, National Federation of Builders, said:

Solar panels on new homes make sense because they lower bills and progress the clean energy revolution we so desperately need. Credit must also be given for recent announcements on grid investment and connection reforms, as these were important challenges to recognise and solve for a rooftop revolution to happen in practice.

Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association, said:

The HPA welcomes clarity on the publication timeline for the Future Homes Standard and confirmation that all new homes will be required to have low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps. Coupled with solar PV, highly efficient heat pump installations will result in low consumer energy bills and increase the UK’s energy security. This announcement provides a clear signal to the heat pump sector to scale up delivery in terms of workforce and manufacturing to meet the anticipated growth in the market and demonstrates the government’s commitment to decarbonise buildings.

Garry Felgate, Chief Executive of The MCS Foundation, said:

These plans by the government are a huge boost to the UK renewables sector, to our efforts to meet net zero, and in reducing energy costs for households.

This announcement clearly shows that clean energy in the UK is the future. Maximising renewable energy technologies can benefit households by reducing bills as well as enhancing our national energy security.

Trevor Hutchings, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said:

The growth of solar power has been one of the UK’s biggest renewable energy success stories, demonstrating without a doubt that we don’t have to choose between lowering our emissions and lowering household energy bills.

Today’s announcement – which the REA has long campaigned for – takes this one step further – not only enabling thousands of future homeowners to experience the benefits of affordable and clean power, but supercharging growth in the British renewable energy industry and driving forward our energy transition.

Notes to editors

Future Homes Standard

The changes outlined today will maximise the use of solar energy through the Future Homes Standard.

In 2023, the previous government proposed that new build homes would either need solar panel coverage equivalent to 40% of the building’s floor area or none at all.

This approach would have allowed for too many exemptions and no solar being installed on these developments.

The government is intending to bring forward rigorous proposals, that if developers cannot meet 40% coverage, they would still be required to install a reasonable amount of solar coverage.

Under this proposal, it would be a functional requirement of the Building Regulations that new homes, with rare exceptions, are built with renewable electricity generation. In the vast majority of cases, we expect this would be solar panels.

We are working with industry to set the technical detail ahead of publishing the final Future Homes Standard this Autumn.

The Future Homes Standard will also see homes built with low carbon heating such as heat pumps and heat networks.

Solar

The £530 a year saving is based on government’s published Home Energy Assessment tool, which allows the user to produce an estimate of the bill savings they could expect from solar given the characteristics of their home.

The figure is the potential savings for a home and is included to illustrate the benefits of solar panels. An estimate of the bill savings for a Future Homes Standard home will be included in the final impact assessment published in Autumn.

The figures are based on a typical 3.5 kW south-facing installation using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) methodology.

The costs and savings individuals experience will be affected by factors such as how often they heat their home, the precise technical details of their installations, and future energy prices.

The savings displayed are based on the April 2025 price cap. As energy prices change, so will the estimates of savings.

Domestic heat pumps

The changes to permitted development rights, which came into force on Thursday 29 May in England, cover:

• removing the 1m boundary rule, enabling air source heat pumps to be installed within 1m of the property boundary
• increasing the size limit of the heat pump for dwellinghouses from 0.6m³ to 1.5m³
• doubling the number of heat pumps permitted per detached dwellinghouse, from 1 to 2
• allowing for air source heat pumps that can be used for cooling as well as heating – facilitating the role out of air-to-air models – and providing consumers more choice

Modern heat pumps are generally perceived as quiet and typically no louder than a fridge. When installed under a permitted development right, they must also comply with a noise assessment methodology which includes an upper noise limit assessed at the nearest neighbouring habitable room window or door, as part of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Planning Standard.

There were a total of 11,256 applications to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme between January and March 2025, which was up 73% from the first quarter of 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 3 June 2025.

First 11 schools across England have installed solar panels backed by Great British Energy, saving a total of £175,000 per year.

Pupils across the country will benefit from more money for textbooks and teachers, as the first schools are announced in Great British Energy’s rooftop solar rollout to cut energy bills.

Schools are benefitting from funding for rooftop solar, with the first 11 schools estimated to save £175,000 per year after installing Great British Energy solar panels. The remaining schools set to benefit will be announced this summer, with all schools that are part of the scheme expected to have solar panels installed by the end of the year.

It follows the government’s announcement in March to award £180 million of funding for schools and hospitals to install rooftop solar, marking the first major project for Great British Energy – a company owned by the British people, for the British people.

In England, around £80 million is supporting around 200 schools, alongside £100 million for nearly 200 NHS sites, covering a third of NHS trusts, to install rooftop solar panels that could power classrooms and operations, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.

Great British Energy’s first investment could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime savings for schools and the NHS of up to £400 million over around 30 years.

Schools and hospitals have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into school budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets over which government has no control.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

Solar panels on school rooftops mean energy bills are cut and money can be invested directly into improving young people’s education while helping to tackle climate change for the next generation.

Great British Energy is delivering rooftop solar as part of our Plan for Change that will support communities for generations to come, relieving pressures on our vital public services and ensuring investment is made in the future of our young people.

Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said:

Within 2 months we are seeing schools supported by our scheme having solar panels installed so they can start reaping the rewards of clean energy – opening up the opportunity for more money to be spent on our children rather than energy bills.

By partnering with the public sector as we scale up the company, we will continue to make an immediate impact as we work to roll out clean, homegrown energy projects, crowd in investment and create job opportunities across the country.

Education Minister Stephen Morgan said:

Through our Plan for Change, this government is supporting schools to save schools thousands on their bills so they can reinvest money saved into ensuring every child gets the best start in life.

The installation of solar panels will also help pupils to develop green skills, promoting careers in renewables and supporting growth in the clean energy workforce.

Currently only about 20% of schools have solar panels installed, but the technology has huge potential to save money on bills.

Estimates suggest that on average, a typical school could save up to £25,000 per year if they had solar panels with complementary technologies installed such as batteries.

The funding will support the government’s clean power mission as well as helping to rebuild the nation’s public services. It forms Great British Energy’s first local investment, kickstarting the Local Power Plan and ensuring the benefits of this national mission are felt at a local level, with energy security, good jobs and economic growth.

Notes to editors

The list of hospitals benefitting was announced in March and installations will start to complete this summer.

• Great British Energy Solar: list of hospitals (CSV, 8.76 KB)

The support will target schools with buildings that are able to accommodate solar panels in areas of England most in need. As part of this, government is selecting the schools which will be primarily clustered in areas of deprivation in the North East, West Midlands and North West, as well as at least 10 schools in each region. Each cluster will include a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. This could be through work placements, skills bootcamps and workshops.

Backed by £8.3 billion over this Parliament, Great British Energy will own and invest in clean energy projects across the UK. This will range from supporting local energy, like the solar power schemes announced today, to the £300 million invested to support offshore wind supply chains – unlocking significant investment in major clean energy projects that will revitalise the UK’s industrial heartlands with new jobs, alongside securing Britain’s energy supply.

11 schools to have installed Great British Energy solar panels

School name	Region	KW peak (installed capacity)	Yearly energy generation (kWh)	Simple payback (years)	Yearly school bill savings (£)
Charles Warren Academy	South East	20	15,000	8	£4,500
Feversham Primary Academy	Yorkshire and the Humber	53	46,270	5	£13,000
Harris Academy Chafford Hundred	East of England	256	214,300	6	£44,500
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace	London	149	117,250	5	£24,500
Notre Dame RC School	South West	166	150,280	5	£27,000
Oasis Academy Nunsthorpe	Yorkshire and the Humber	92	101,695	4	£22,500
St Boniface’s RC College	South West	86	84,620	7	£13,500
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Poole	South West	37	39,880	5	£8,500
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Axminster	South West	13	12,200	12	£2,000
Westfield Primary Academy	East of England	56	54,050	6	£12,000
Whiteknights Primary School	South East	18	16,170	8	£4,500
Total		945	851,715		£176,000

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 21 May 2025.

Communities to receive funding for hosting clean energy infrastructure as part of plans to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

Britain’s coastal and rural communities will receive a cash boost for new community facilities, better transport links and investment in apprenticeships, under government plans as part of the Plan for Change mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

The proposals will require community benefits for families, businesses and local community groups who live near offshore wind, onshore wind and solar farms.

They would enshrine in law a requirement for renewable developers to pay into community benefit funds, ensuring infrastructure projects contribute to residents’ lives, the local economy and growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

This could include new grassroots football pitches in Welsh seaside towns, initiatives to get young people into employment on the Yorkshire coast to train the next generation of engineers, and funding for transport links and schools in the Scottish highlands.

Coastal and rural areas will play a significant role in hosting the clean energy projects needed to get energy bills down for good and deliver energy security with homegrown power that Britain controls.

In recognition, the funding will channel community investment into where it has real impact – with families in the area deciding where the money should be spent. The plans also set out how communities could own a stake in renewable energy infrastructure through shared ownership, resulting in profits being reinvested back into the community and the British people having a stake in the clean energy transition.

The level of payments to communities will range depending on the size of infrastructure projects, from tens of thousands of pounds a year for small developments and up to millions of pounds per year for large-scale developments.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

If you live near an offshore wind or solar farm, your local community should benefit from supporting this nationally critical mission.

The Prime Minister’s mission to become a clean energy superpower is creating good well-paid jobs in these areas, building the infrastructure we need to get energy bills down for working people.

Our Plan for Change will revitalise Britain’s coastal and rural communities creating community wealth, better facilities and energy security for the country.

This will benefit every household in the country by getting the UK off fossil fuel dependency and protecting billpayers from price shocks with clean homegrown power.

The announcement will build on measures introduced in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill where households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure will get electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years.

The proposals seek input on which types of energy infrastructure should be required to pay into community benefit funds, which may include renewable and low-carbon electricity  generation, and energy storage.

Community benefits are an established part of development for energy infrastructure in many countries, including Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

James Robottom, Head of Policy at RenewableUK, said:

Renewable energy developers have a long history of providing a wide range of benefits for local communities, such as community benefit funds which support local initiatives, electricity discounts, employment initiatives and environmental projects.

We welcome the government’s consultation and will engage with it to ensure that the benefits received by local communities hosting energy infrastructure are proportionate and continue to meet their needs. Renewable energy developers are good neighbours and remain committed to providing benefits at an appropriate level to enable local communities to thrive all over the country.

This builds on Monday’s announcement to support coastal communities with the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, the new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement that will slash red tape for UK seafood exporters and businesses, and a new twelve-year fisheries access agreement with the EU securing long-term certainty for British fishing fleets.

The Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will see investment in new technology and equipment to modernise Britain’s fishing fleet, deliver new training and skills to back the next generation of fishers and promote the seafood sector to export our high-quality produce across the world.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 21 May 2025.

Grangemouth workers receive ‘training guarantee’ to benefit from clean energy jobs.

Petroineos refinery workers at Grangemouth are being actively supported through the Prime Minister’s commitment to a ‘training guarantee’ to help secure new well-paid work, as part of the UK and Scottish Governments’ pledge to secure a future for those affected by the closure of the oil refinery.

The government took swift action to protect workers after Petroineos confirmed their plans to close the refinery, including announcing up to £10 million to provide new skills support that will help the site’s workers into good clean energy jobs, as well as supporting new energy projects in the region. This also included a commitment from the Prime Minister in February to deliver a ‘training guarantee’.

This guarantee is now being delivered, with 184 out of 300 workers having now engaged in retraining activity with the majority of the remaining workforce registered for training.

Workers have been offered a wide range of training opportunities, including renewable energy upskilling courses and wind turbine engineering courses, paid for and supported by the UK and Scottish Governments. This will provide them with the vital skills needed to secure new jobs, including in the clean energy sector – which currently supports more than 42,000 jobs in Scotland.

Every Petroineos worker affected by the decision to close the oil refinery has now been provided the opportunity for 1:1 interviews with careers specialists at Forth Valley College.

These will help identify their skills, qualifications and training needs to create a programme of bespoke courses that will ensure their smooth transition into new roles – supporting the next generation of good jobs and driving economic growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

It comes as the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin and Energy Minister Michael Shanks join the Office for Investment, Scottish Enterprise, National Wealth Fund and Scottish National Investment Bank for the inaugural Grangemouth Investment Taskforce meeting today where they will discuss securing private investment in the future of the site – with 66 enquiries received so far.

Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said:

The workforce at Grangemouth is highly skilled with significant transferrable experience which our training commitment recognises by providing tailored support for workers into new employment opportunities.

As well as continuing to work to secure the site’s long-term industrial future, we want to ensure no worker is left behind and that they are equipped with the skills they need to secure good jobs. This is our Plan for Change in action.

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said:

The Scottish Government’s immediate focus has rightly been on supporting workers who have lost their jobs. We committed up to £450,000 to ensure that they are supported and assisted to secure other employment and to contribute their valuable skills to Scotland’s green economy.

That is why we are also working to secure Grangemouth’s role in that future and create an investible industrial strategy for the site. It’s clear that real progress is being made on the findings from Project Willow. We are working closely with Scottish Enterprise – who are already assessing nearly 70 inquiries aligned to the full range of technologies set out in the report – and we are determined to ensure we realise the full potential for the site’s transformation.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

We know this is a worrying time for workers and their families at Grangemouth. I am pleased more than 260 highly skilled workers have already received support from Forth Valley College thanks to funding from the UK government as part of the £100 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal package.

By offering bespoke training in renewable energy and wind turbine engineering, we’re not just supporting individual workers but also helping Scotland lead the way in clean energy jobs. We are determined that Grangemouth will have a green energy future and have committed £200 million through the National Wealth Fund toward that.

Kenny MacInnes, Principal of Forth Valley College, said:

The College continues to work extremely hard to make sure that all the Petroineos employees affected by the refinery closure, are able to access the support they need as they begin their transition into new training, careers and jobs.

We are making learning work in our Forth Valley communities and beyond, and we want to assure everyone that we will continue to be there for them as they take the next steps in their careers and their studies.

Steven Bell, former Hazardous Areas Technician at Petroineos Grangemouth Refinery, said:

The support I received from Forth Valley College with retraining during the redundancy process has been exceptional.

From my 1:1 meetings discussing courses that I would be interested in and what my future career path might be, right through to getting booked onto the courses I had selected, nothing was too much trouble.

All in all, I can say I am absolutely delighted with what Forth Valley College have provided for me during this process.

The training support has helped workers enter new employment. For example, former Hazardous Areas Technician Steven Bell took part in a range of courses that enabled him to renew his Electricians Grade Card, as well as courses in working in hazardous areas which will support him in his new role as a Compliance Supervisor with a company involved in the pharmaceutical and distillery sector.

It follows the publication of a feasibility report ‘Project Willow’ that provided nine proposals for Grangemouth, backed by £200 million from the UK government and £25 million from the Scottish Government, which will support jobs, unlock investment and drive growth.

The report sets out various options for the site, including plastics recycling, hydrogen production and other projects that could create up to 800 jobs by 2040. This will help to grow the economy and deliver on both governments’ shared ambition to secure a long-term future for Grangemouth – with Scottish Enterprise already receiving a high level of interest from potential investors.

The UK government is unlocking Scotland’s clean energy potential and recently awarded £55.7 million to the Port of Cromarty Firth to develop and manufacture new floating offshore wind farms in Scotland. It has also launched a Skills Passport to support oil and gas workers to identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 15 May 2025.

Schools, community centres and care homes receive new awards to upgrade their buildings and save money off bills in the long term.

Pupils at schools, residents at care homes, and users of community centres will all be given a boost today, as the government allocates funding to help cut energy bills for public buildings in the years to come.

The social institutions that allow local communities to thrive, such as schools, hospitals, and care homes, will be given extra help to make energy saving upgrades and tackle costs, allowing more money to be spent on the services that people care about.

More than £630 million has been awarded for measures including heat pumps, solar panels, insulation and double glazing, helping to make Britain energy secure as part of the Plan for Change while contributing to an estimated £650 million in savings for taxpayers per year on average over the next 12 years.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has been awarded over £30 million to install heat pumps at Queens Park Leisure Centre, Birkenhead Central Library and Chase Heys Home for the Elderly, while the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust will receive more than £14 million to replace fossil fuel heating at two sites, helping power these pillars of the local community with cleaner, homegrown energy.

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands will benefit from £1 million to install heat pumps and solar panels at one of its aircraft hangars, and Worcester City Council will receive £90,000 to upgrade the King George V Community Centre, which is used for employability training and youth activities, with new heat pumps, solar panels and double glazing.

The University of York has been awarded £35 million to capture energy from beneath the Earth’s surface to help deliver low-carbon heat to buildings on campus, while the National Portrait Gallery has been awarded over £5 million to switch to heat pumps in its main public gallery and Orange Street building, which houses the historic archives of the library.

Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said:

Today we are providing even more support for Britain’s buildings – from schools to museums and galleries – helping to rebuild vital public services as part of the Plan for Change.

This investment will see local communities benefit from our sprint to clean power, with warm public buildings, run more affordably.

An extra £102 million from the Green Heat Network Fund will help to develop new and existing heat networks in England, including the Hemiko South Westminster Area Network (SWAN), which could help to decarbonise iconic landmarks like the Houses of Parliament using waste heat from the River Thames.

This follows Great British Energy’s first major project to put solar panels on around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, helping them to reinvest savings on their energy bills in teaching and healthcare.

Vice-Chancellor Professor at the University of York Charlie Jeffery said:

Our geothermal project will be a powerful catalyst in our journey towards net zero, offering a significant reduction in carbon emissions and a greener future.

Beyond its crucial environmental impact, the site will serve as a living laboratory that will drive research, educate our students and bring benefits beyond our campus.

The support from the government is a vital catalyst for this transformative endeavour, which we believe will empower the next generation of sustainability leaders and deepen community understanding of renewable energy technologies.

Policy Manager at Energy UK Louise Shooter said:

High energy bills have been a big headache for schools, hospitals, leisure centres and other community facilities in recent years – so it’s great to see them being helped to install energy saving measures and other green technology that will cut energy costs permanently while also enabling them to do their bit to reduce emissions. Energy UK’s members have been helping schools and hospitals across the country do the same and save money which means more funding for the essential services they provide. It’s a very tangible example of the benefits that come from investing in the switch to cleaner energy.

Head of External Affairs at ADE: Heat Networks Pablo John said:

Today’s investment in heat networks like the University of York’s geothermal project is a blueprint for Britain’s clean heat revolution. These networks capture every kilowatt of renewable energy and waste heat we produce, turning it into affordable warmth for consumers. York’s 78% cut in fossil fuels proves that when we back heat networks now – even outside of zones – we secure energy independence for good. Let’s build on this momentum by supporting heat network innovation everywhere and stop wasting the heat under our feet.

Director of Content and Programmes at the RAF Museum Karen Whitting said:

Warm thanks to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for their investment through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. This will enable us to introduce new, low/no-carbon technologies to a historic 1938 Type-C aircraft hangar as part of our Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme. The re-developed hangar will be used as a Learning Centre and exhibition gallery which will welcome and inspire around 500,000 visitors a year, sharing the nationally important Royal Air Force story. The project will make a major contribution to the RAF Museum’s Strategy including our commitment to achieving Carbon Net Zero.

Notes to editors

Decarbonising the public sector with low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures will save the public sector an estimated £650 million per year on average to 2037. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is contributing towards delivering these savings for public sector organisations.

Applications for Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme opened in October 2024. Funding for this phase is worth approximately £940 million and will run until financial year 2027/2028. Some remaining funding awards will be issued in the coming weeks.

As of May 2025, the regional breakdown for Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Phase 4 funding is as follows:

• North East: £65,191,456
• Yorkshire and the Humber: £81,262,778
• North West: £116,815,617
• East Midlands: £73,405,602
• West Midlands: £84,306,700
• East of England: £29,149,553
• South East: £35,720,404
• South West: £30,002,246
• Greater London: £113,914,685
• Wales: £2,500,000
• Across Regions: £1,325,000

The Green Heat Network Fund supports new and existing heat networks in England to adopt low carbon technologies such as heat pumps, recovered heat, geothermal and energy from waste. A total of over £484 million in awards to 40 projects has been made public since the launch of the scheme in 2022.

The projects included in this announcement, which have been awarded a total of over £102 million in grant funding are:

• Derby Energy Network (Derby Energy Ltd): £23,240,000
• Bristol City Centre (Bristol Heat Networks/Vattenfall): £21,300,000
• SWAN (Hemiko): £21,000,000
• Lincoln (Hemiko): £15,508,000
• East London Energy (Bring Energy): £8,813,120
• Trafford Civic Quarter Heat Networks (Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council): £5,750,000
• West Bromwich Heat Network (Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council): £4,939,421
• Mersey Biochar Heat Network (Severn Wye Energy Agency Ltd): £1,728,890

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 15 May 2025.

Landmark bill passes in Parliament as Great British Energy takes another major step forward.

Working people will benefit from cleaner, homegrown power, as Great British Energy takes another major step forward today. Legislation for Britain’s new publicly-owned energy company has passed through Parliament and Great British Energy is set to deliver for working people.

Great British Energy will invest in clean power projects across the UK as part of the government’s Plan for Change to become a clean energy superpower – helping to get off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and protect families’ finances.

Backed by £8.3 billion over the course of this parliament, the company will speed up the delivery of strategic energy projects and invest alongside the private sector to get new technologies like floating offshore wind up and running as part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

The Energy Secretary is today visiting a hospital in Hull where solar power is saving the hospital hundreds of thousands of pounds each month, allowing money to be reinvested in frontline services.

That’s why Great British Energy is investing £200 million in funding for new rooftop solar power and renewable energy schemes for schools, hospitals and communities – saving hundreds of millions on their energy bills. In April NHS Humber Health Partnership was awarded nearly £8.5 million from this fund, which will deliver up to £14.2 million in lifetime bills savings.

As part of this, yesterday Scotland’s community energy fund opened for applications, backed by £4 million from Great British Energy for local clean energy projects – from community-led onshore wind, to solar on rooftops and hydropower in rivers – generating profits which could be reinvested into community projects or take money off people’s bills.

Meanwhile people in Wales will benefit from nearly £3 million of Great British Energy funding for local renewable projects.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Great British Energy comes from a simple idea: British people should own and benefit from our own natural resources.

We are giving people a stake in clean energy and delivering profits for the British people.

As part of our Plan for Change, this will make us a clean energy superpower and help bring down energy bills for good.

Great British Energy Chair Juergen Maier said:

Great British Energy was created to ensure British people reap the benefits of clean, secure, homegrown energy.

We now have full backing to scale up the company, crowd in investment, and back clean energy projects across the country.

Today Great British Energy will host a roundtable in Edinburgh alongside the Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, focussed on the supply chain opportunities in Scotland. It follows Great British Energy’s initial £300 million funding for offshore wind supply chains. This will support Britain’s engineers, technicians, and welders and invest in offshore wind manufacturing components such as floating offshore platforms and cables in the UK’s industrial heartlands.

As part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which will turbocharge growth in the UK’s key sectors including clean energy, this investment is part of the Prime Minister’s drive to ensure that the clean energy future is ‘built in Britain’.

The Energy Secretary will soon outline Great British Energy’s strategic priorities – including which technologies the government expects the company to focus on and how it should consider the public benefits from investment decisions.

The Great British Energy Bill received legislative consent from all three devolved governments, the first Bill to under this parliament. This will allow Great British Energy to operate more effectively in every devolved nation and benefit people across the UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 14 May 2025.

£4m Great British Energy funding scheme to target clean energy projects in Scottish communities.

Communities across Scotland can today apply for new funding from a £4 million Great British Energy scheme.

The funding targets local clean energy projects – from community-led onshore wind, to solar on rooftops and hydropower in rivers – generating profits which could be reinvested into community projects or take money off people’s bills.

Great British Energy, the government’s publicly-owned clean power company, is giving communities a stake in generating their own energy so people can reinvest profits where it really matters.

Great British Energy’s £4 million funding is part of the £8 million Community Energy Generation Growth Fund, with the remaining funding coming from the Scottish Government.

Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said:

This is our clean energy superpower mission in action – putting communities in the driving seat of energy generation and making sure people profit.

Great British Energy wants to kickstart a community energy revolution, empowering our towns and villages to become mini energy producers and reinvest profits back into the local community.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 9 May 2025.

Industrial communities set to benefit from new jobs and growth in their towns and cities, as funding is more than doubled for the Clean Industry Bonus.

Hundreds of bids have come through from the UK’s offshore wind sector, in a strong signal that industry supports the government’s clean power by 2030 mission. Following higher than expected demand, the Energy Secretary has increased the bonus from an initial £200 million to £544 million.

The Clean Industry Bonus will provide financial rewards for offshore wind developers, on the condition they prioritise investment in regions that need it most or in cleaner supply chains, including traditional oil and gas communities, ex-industrial areas and ports and coastal towns.

It will support cleaner manufacturers, new upgraded factories, port infrastructure and more business for UK supply chains, whilst supporting highly skilled jobs such as engineers, electricians and welders on the clean energy transition.

It is expected that for every £1 spent on the bonus, it could leverage up to £17 of private sector investment, mainly into some of the UK’s most deprived communities – providing a huge return for communities from clean energy projects.

This comes after the Prime Minister’s announcement last month to bring forward a £300 million investment through Great British Energy to win global offshore wind investment for the UK, building Britain’s clean energy future through the Plan for Change.

Government support is expected to leverage up to £9.3 billion in private sector investment over the next four years, creating economic growth by backing the clean energy supply chain that make offshore wind blades and cables and develop low carbon factories.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Industry have backed our clean energy superpower mission, and we are helping them to deliver it.

This is the type of muscular industrial policy Britain needs to create jobs, drive growth and transform the fortunes of industrial towns and cities, delivering our Plan for Change.

Claire Mack, Chief Executive at Scottish Renewables, said:

This announcement makes clear that clean energy offers a strong return on investment for the country. It also demonstrates that Scotland’s offshore wind sector has the potential to deliver transformational benefits for our supply chains, skilled workforces and coastal communities.

Now is the time to go further and faster to capture this unrivalled opportunity for green industrial growth. Scottish Renewables will work closely with the UK government to ensure funding from the Clean Industry Bonus can be maximised through the successful deployment of Scotland’s offshore wind pipeline in the years ahead.

RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Policy Ana Musat said:

This additional funding has the potential to help secure billions in private investment in new factories manufacturing components for the offshore wind industry across the UK. Importantly for the country, these investments will create new jobs in coastal communities which need fresh opportunities.

The expansion of the offshore wind supply chain will, in turn, enable us to deliver the massive pipeline of offshore wind projects planned for installation in UK waters at the lowest cost for billpayers in the years ahead.

The Clean Industry Bonus is a good starting point as part of a wider industrial strategy which the government is due to unveil in full this summer, and which we hope will be complimented by new policies to support the expansion of UK ports. With larger ports, we could secure even more investment in offshore wind manufacturing and turbine assembly”.

Adam Berman, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Energy UK, said:

The UK’s continued growth in offshore wind is delivering jobs and business opportunities up and down the country.

Every new, large offshore wind farm adds £2-3 billion to the UK’s economy and – if deployment is accelerated – the sector could boost it by a further £25 billion between now and 2035.

Ensuring that the people and businesses located near to projects benefit is as important as ensuring wider economic growth. The transformation of regions like the Humber demonstrates the positive impact these projects can have.

We welcome the government’s focus and support in making sure that communities reap the rewards of this burgeoning sector. Industry is fully aligned with government on the need to capture the full benefits of clean power for both local communities and British businesses building the supply chain that underpins these projects.

Funding comes ahead of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which will turbocharge growth in the UK’s key sectors including clean energy.

The application window for the Clean Industry Bonus is now closed, with the winners expected to be announced after the final budget in May.

Notes to editors

The budget is expressed in 2025 prices. All CIB payments will be indexed using the Consumer Price Index. Funding is allocated competitively through an auction: proposals that unlock the biggest investments, for the cheapest amount of revenue support, score the highest.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 8 May 2025.

British workers and businesses will benefit from more investment in the UK’s clean energy future, with a new partnership signed with Norway.

On a visit to Oslo this week, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband secured a Green Industrial Partnership with Norwegian counterparts Ministers Terje Aasland and Cecilie Myrseth and met with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The Energy Secretary also met a number of energy companies to deepen bilateral relationships and make the case for clean energy investment in Britain. Norway is a crucial ally in securing our energy security, which in turn will deliver clean, secure and cheaper power for British families, whilst securing new clean energy manufacturing jobs through the Plan for Change.

The ambitious partnership enhances the UK and Norway’s longstanding collaboration on energy and is one of the key deliverables of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s and Norwegian Prime Minister Støre’s over-arching Strategic Partnership.

It focuses on key areas that support the development of renewables. These include offshore wind and grid development, collaboration on the protection of UK and Norwegian offshore infrastructure and reducing barriers to develop a North Sea hub for the cross-border storage of carbon dioxide.

This builds on the government’s aim for the North Sea to be at the heart of Britain’s clean energy future and to drive economic growth.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Energy security is national security – and only by working with key partners like Norway can we accelerate clean power that we control, getting us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuels in these unstable times.

Together we can invest in a clean energy future and take advantage of the opportunities ahead in the North Sea, with good clean energy jobs and export opportunities for British business – delivering growth through our Plan for Change.

Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland said:

Norway and the United Kingdom have a unique relationship in the energy sector, characterized by innovation and close cooperation across the North Sea. I am very pleased that today we are establishing a forward-looking partnership to promote the green transition and further strengthen the collaboration between our two countries.

Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth said:

This agreement is important for Norwegian industry, especially when it comes to securing value chains for raw materials and clean energy. By combining Norwegian and British strengths, we can create jobs, develop new industries, and enhance our competitiveness.

Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said:

A green transition is crucial if we are to meet our climate targets, while also creating new jobs. The partnership with the United Kingdom will strengthen our joint efforts to promote implementation of the Paris Agreement through international climate diplomacy. We will also further develop the close cooperation we have to halt and reverse the deforestation of the rainforest.

It is estimated that the UK’s seas have the potential to store up to 78 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, which this partnership could help to unlock to support jobs and reduce emissions across Europe.

Research also suggests that closer cooperation on the clean energy transition in the North Seas could lower bills, create up to 51,000 jobs, and add up to £36 billion to the UK economy. By 2030, the North Sea could provide up to 120GW of offshore wind generation, which is enough to power over 120 million homes. This will contribute to the UK and Europe’s energy security in a volatile world, whilst creating significant export opportunities for British business.

Norway is a key energy partner for the UK, and the new partnership builds on decades of collaboration and a mutual commitment to support the development of the UK’s offshore sectors in the North Sea. By working with European partners to transform the North Sea basin into a low carbon and renewables powerhouse, the UK can accelerate the global energy transition and lead efforts to combat climate change on the world stage.

UK and Norwegian companies are already playing an important role in driving the energy transition forward. This includes firms such as Norwegian energy major Equinor which has invested in UK offshore wind, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen, as well as Europe’s biggest renewables generator, Statkraft, a major developer in the UK alongside other Norwegian companies Fred Olsen and Vårgrønn.

This agreement forms part of the UK-Norway Strategic Partnership, covering defence, security, energy and the green transition.

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 7 May 2025.

Motorists could benefit from cheaper charging costs and more transparent prices at the pump.

Motorists could benefit from cheaper charging costs through the introduction of solar canopies in car parks to save drivers money as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The government has today launched a call for evidence to understand how to harness the untapped potential of solar in car parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Supermarkets, retail parks, and offices could also save money on their energy bills by turning their carparks into ‘solar carports’, saving up to £28,000 a year and powering businesses and homes across the UK.

Petrol and diesel motorists are also set to be supported by the government’s flagship Fuel Finder scheme – which today appointed a supplier to begin the first phase of delivery that requires all petrol stations to share prices within 30 minutes of a change, driving down prices at the pump and saving drivers between 1 to 6p a litre on average.

Mandating solar on car parks supports the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower, unlocking underutilised space which can be used to power homes and businesses with clean, cheap, secure power.

The Energy Secretary has already approved nearly 3 GW of new solar capacity since July, enough to power the equivalent of 1 million homes. Proposals would help boost Britain’s energy security by bringing bills down in the long-term for families through the Plan for Change.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses.

We want to work with businesses and car park operators to turn our car parks into solar carports to save families and businesses money with clean, homegrown British energy through our Plan for Change.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said:

We’re committed to ensuring electric car drivers are always close to a charger and can save money when making the switch. Today is another positive example of how we’re harnessing the net zero transition to give drivers more choice and help them get around with greater peace of mind.

There are now more than 76,500 public electric vehicle charging devices available across the UK, as we continue to deliver our Plan for Change by investing £2.3 billion to help drivers switch to electric vehicles while backing British carmakers and protecting jobs.

Solar carports are already mandatory in some European countries, including France and Slovenia, providing their countries with an abundance of cheaper solar power.

Initial estimates suggest that an 80-space car park could save around £28,000 per year in electricity bills by installing solar carports and using all electricity generated. The call for evidence is seeking additional evidence on the potential benefits of the policy.

Companies could also make back the cost of installing solar in carparks by selling energy back to the grid or through long-term power purchase agreements.

Ben Cox, Director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, Asset Managers of Metrocentre said:

With the largest number of EV charging points of any shopping centre in the country, and over 5,000 PV panels in action, including those on car ports in Green and Blue Mall car parks, we have already taken great steps to secure a more sustainable future.

We welcome the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero’s call for evidence which will allow us to invest further into these facilities to support the government’s national agenda.

Solar canopies have proven to improve the experience for customers, providing shaded cover for cars during heatwaves, creating a cooler environment for both vehicles and pedestrians.

The Clean Power Action Plan set an ambition of 45 to 47 GW by 2030. Ground-mounted solar currently occupies around less than 0.1% of total and area of the UK.

It is estimated that the solar sector supports 17,500 direct and indirect jobs across the UK, with more jobs possible from the rollout of mandatory solar carports.

Case studies

• The Bentley Motors manufacturing facility in Cheshire is the largest solar carport in the UK, with 10,000 solar panels and a capacity of 2.7 MW. Along with other installed solar arrays and 6.6 MW of battery storage, the car park enables all of Bentley’s manufacturing operations to be powered by solar
• Eastbourne District General Hospital became the first solar carport to power a hospital, cutting the hospital’s emissions by 222 tonnes in the first year
• Stourton Park & Ride in Leeds hosts a 1.2 MW solar carport, providing EV charging infrastructure for 26 spaces
• The Metrocentre in Gateshead has over 5,300 rooftop and carport solar panels providing enough power to supply 40% of their annual electricity usage.

Notes to Editors

The illustrative estimates of the potential financial savings associated with the installation of solar canopies has been produced to serve as a reference point for further respondents. For the calculation, a car parking business would install 80 solar canopy solar bays over a 2.4m x 5.0m car parking space, with a generation intensity of 1 MW for every 5000m2. Considering the practical limitations of solar power generation, we assume a load factor of 11% which was published in our cost generation report. To then calculate the saving if 100% of this electricity was self-consumed by the business, we used the average of our central commercial electricity prices forecasts from 2025 to 2054.

The homes powered estimate reflects the equivalent number of homes that could be powered based on an estimate of the annual generation from the 3GW of solar capacity approved by the Energy Secretary since July. It is not possible to continuously power a home through intermittent renewables – this capacity will work alongside the rest of the electricity system to power homes and businesses. The estimate is calculated using household consumption estimates sourced from the published Subnational Electricity and Gas Consumption Report and actual load factors as per the Energy Trends publication. The actual generation will vary based on site specific factors.

See more information on solar industry statistics.