UK households to get £400 off energy bills under new government scheme from today

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho says the support some of the lowest income households to warm their homes and save as much as £400 a year on energy bills.

UK households can get a £400 discount on energy bills as the government announces a new scheme. Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho says the support some of the lowest income households to warm their homes and save as much as £400 a year on energy bills.

The new tranche of support impacts everything from heat pumps and double glazing to insulation, the government has said. The funding will be offered to 42 councils and housing associations across England to help them co-fund installations in up to 8,000 homes.

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "Our Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is helping families to keep their homes warm and their bills down. We want to support hard-working families to make changes, rather than burdening them with unnecessary costs.

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"This funding today will help up to a further 8,800 households save around £400 a year on their energy bills." Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "Housing associations play a crucial role in helping the country to meet its net zero targets and are already leading the way on energy efficiency, but funding is essential for maintaining this work."

Up to 8,800 social homes will benefit from free upgrades to make them more energy efficient and cheaper to run under the scheme. Funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will help save tenants around £400 a year on their energy bills on average, while supporting 1,300 jobs.

Ms Henderson went on: "The funding announced today will give housing associations the certainty and confidence they need to plan and deliver more retrofit projects, tackle fuel poverty, and improve their residents' homes." North Yorkshire Council, Portsmouth City Council, Wandle Housing Association in London and Gentoo Group in Sunderland are among those receiving funding from this round.

The scheme is open to applicants who had not received SHDF money in the previous wave. Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium Tracy Harrison said: “I’m delighted to see continued government support for SHDF, with Wave 2.2 helping to support a number of smaller housing associations.

"This is vital funding to complement the investment our members are making to deliver more green home upgrades, to help residents with lower bills and warmer homes."