The Energy Secretary will at present (Sunday 15 March) define a package deal of measures to go “further and faster” in the pursuit of nationwide energy safety as a response to occasions in the Middle East.
The Energy Secretary is at present setting out an accelerated package deal of energy interventions to increase the UK’s energy safety:
- saying that ‘plug-in solar’, low price photo voltaic panels that households should buy at supermarkets and placed on their balconies or outside area, will be made out there in the UK for the primary time
- saying that we intend to convey ahead the federal government’s subsequent annual renewables public sale to July, inviting renewables corporations to make investments in UK energy. The most up-to-date spherical was the most important ever and alongside the earlier public sale, now we have confirmed sufficient clear energy to energy the equal of 23 million houses
- following the implementation of the Fingleton Review into rushing up the constructing of nuclear energy stations, affirmation that the federal government will apply the teachings of the evaluation to different infrastructure equivalent to renewables
The authorities has taken quick motion to assist shoppers, together with working with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to be sure that gasoline suppliers can’t interact in unfair practices in direction of shoppers equivalent to value gouging.
The CMA has set out plans to step up monitoring of the highway gasoline sector to quickly determine any indicators that gasoline stations are exploiting the scenario. It has additionally written to heating oil companies to acquire additional proof and assess whether or not their practices increase shopper safety issues.
The CMA has the ability to wonderful corporations if it finds shopper or competitors legislation has been damaged, and the federal government totally helps the CMA’s assertion that it’s going to not hesitate to achieve this.
The authorities has additionally stepped up gasoline business compliance with Fuel Finder, its petrol and diesel value comparability scheme. The main retailer Asda has now confirmed its forecourts might be listed on Fuel Finder, taking the scheme’s attain to nearly 100% of pumps throughout the nation.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband stated:
Global occasions exhibit there’s not a second to waste in our drive for clear energy as a result of there might be no energy safety whereas we’re so depending on fossil fuels.
So at present I’m saying a collection of initiatives to pace up our clear energy mission: bringing ahead the subsequent renewables public sale simply months after our most profitable ever, saying that plug in photo voltaic might be out there for the primary time in Britain and rushing up our heat houses plan.
Everything we’re doing is about one objective: combating the nook of the British individuals by taking again management of our energy.
Notes to editors
Plug-in photo voltaic
Easy-to-install, plug-in photo voltaic might see households make important financial savings on their energy payments. Plug-in photo voltaic is already broadly used in houses throughout Europe, with Germany seeing round half 1,000,000 new gadgets plugged in final yr alone. The authorities will work at tempo with the related our bodies, shopper teams and business to introduce new requirements and amend rules to get these onto the market as quickly as doable.
The transportable, plug-in photo voltaic panels might be positioned in gardens or on partitions and balconies – offering a brand new, easy different for renters and flat homeowners who could not have the choice of rooftop photo voltaic.
The free solar energy can then be safely plugged right into a mains socket like some other system, at no additional price – thereby decreasing the quantity of electrical energy taken from the grid and reducing energy payments.
Allocation Round 8
The authorities’s most up-to-date public sale spherical delivered the only largest procurement of offshore wind that Europe has seen, confounding the worldwide challenges going through the business and securing a significant vote of confidence in the UK’s clear energy mission.
Today we’re confirming that we intend to open the subsequent Allocation Round in July 2026- giving certainty to clear energy buyers.
Warm Homes Plan
Earlier this yr, the federal government launched its landmark £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, the biggest public funding in British historical past to improve houses and lower payments. To shield households from energy shocks, and to get upgrades like insulation, photo voltaic panels and warmth pumps into houses as quickly as doable, we’re at present accelerating the subsequent spherical of devolved funding for native mayors to ship residence upgrades in their areas. The mayors of Liverpool, London and West Yorkshire will obtain funding to improve low-income houses avenue by avenue, becoming a member of the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands in having this £130 million of funding totally devolved.
The Minister for Energy Consumers will meet with native authorities and the availability chain in the approaching days to be sure this funding rapidly reaches the households who want it most.
Government report on energy safety since July 2024
Secured sufficient clear, homegrown energy for 23 million houses by 2 record-breaking renewables auctions.
Fast tracked planning choices for photo voltaic and wind initiatives, with DESNZ taking two-thirds of all nationally important planning choices since July 2024.
Turbocharged the drive for nuclear energy: driving ahead on Sizewell C, investing in the UK’s first small modular reactors in North Wales and setting out our plan to implement the Fingleton suggestions to pace up the constructing of latest nuclear.
Delivered the most important public funding in houses upgrades in British historical past, with £15 billion public funding to set up applied sciences like photo voltaic and batteries to lower payments and defend households from fossil gasoline shocks.
Confirmed that new houses might be constructed with photo voltaic as customary underneath the Future Homes Standard.
