The British government is offering £1 billion worth of home energy efficiency upgrades in a move that comes after a series of policy flops to improve the country’s leaky housing.
Homes with poor energy efficiency and in low council tax bands are set to be offered upgrades to their roof, loft or cavity wall insulation under a new program called the Great British Insulation Scheme. That could cut average annual bills by £300 ($375) to £400, according to a statement by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on Thursday.
The initiative follows a series of lackluster attempts by the government to chip away at home energy consumption in the UK, which has one of the least efficient housing stocks in Europe. One plan was even blocked by the previous prime minister, Liz Truss, who saw such measures as overly interventionist.
Tackling poorly insulated homes is crucial for hitting a government target of net zero emissions by 2050 since almost half of Britain’s energy consumption is for heating buildings.
Read more: Zero Energy Bills: the UK’s Challenge of Making Homes Greener
The new plan comes as households head into winter facing stubbornly high energy bills after the withdrawal of government support. The typical UK household is set to pay over 80% more this winter on energy than in winters before the energy crisis started two years ago.
The new government plan should benefit more than 300,000 families and will apply to those in council tax bands A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and Wales, with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below, the statement said.
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An online checker will measure eligibility for the new funding. It comes alongside the existing Energy Company Obligation program that offers free home efficiency improvements to those on low incomes.
