A new ECO+ scheme, announced by business and energy secretary Grant Shapps, will help millions of people across the country bring down energy costs and better insulate their homes this winter
The new £1bn ECO+ scheme will extend support to those who do not currently receive any other government support to upgrade their home insulation. As a result, consumers will see savings of around £310 a year.
Around 80% of the ECO+ funding will be available for households with an EPC rating of D or below and in the lower Council Tax bands.
Around a fifth of the fund will also be targeted to the most vulnerable, including those on benefits or fuel poverty.
Government campaigns to help reduce energy bills while keeping warm this winter
An additional £18m public information campaign will offer technical tips and advice for people to cut their energy use while also keeping warm this winter.
The government will expand its Help for Households campaign to help customers reduce their own household energy usage and bills.
The top recommended actions include:
- Reducing the temperature a boiler heats water to before it is sent to radiators (known as the boiler flow temperature) from 75⁰C to 60⁰C
- Turning down radiators in empty rooms
- Reducing heating loss from the property, such as by draught-proofing windows and doors
‘Global energy price rises caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine’
Business and energy secretary Grant Shapps said:
“The government put immediate help in place to support households in the wake of global energy price rises caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine. Today, we launch the first of many measures to ensure the British public is never put in this position again as we work towards an energy-independent future.
“A new ECO scheme will enable thousands more to insulate their homes, protecting the pounds in their pockets and creating jobs across the country.
“And in the short term, our new public information campaign will also give people the tools they need to reduce their energy use while keeping warm this winter.”
‘Supporting people to cut their costs permanently’
Chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:
“With Putin’s war driving up gas prices worldwide, I know many families are feeling worried about their energy bills this winter and beyond. Our extensive energy support package is insulating people from the worst of this crisis, but we’re also supporting people to cut their costs permanently.
“In the longer term, we need to make Britain more energy independent by generating more clean, affordable, home-grown power, but we also need more efficient homes and buildings.
“Our new ECO+ scheme will help hundreds of thousands of people across the UK to better insulate their homes to reduce consumption, with the added benefit of saving families hundreds of pounds each year.”
