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Energy Security Secretary Grant Shaps has unveiled 60 policies to put the UK on the road to net zero by 2050 and improve the country’s energy security.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new measures, announced on Thursday, “can ensure long-term energy security, lower energy prices and grow the economy with more affordable clean energy from the UK.” said.
The new plan follows a High Court ruling last year that said the existing government plan was illegal because it lacked clear details.
However, the strategy has faced criticism for lacking new funding and missing many already announced initiatives.
There is also concern that some changes may increase costs for consumers, with many consumers already facing record high bills due to rising global energy costs.
What does your strategy include?
The government has announced an extension to 2028 of a boiler upgrade scheme offering £5,000 towards the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps or biomass boilers.
Consumers will soon be penalized for sticking with fossil fuel boilers. This is because the minister plans to change the subsidy rules to make gas relatively less attractive compared to electricity.
The existing ECO+ insulation scheme, rebranded as the Great British Insulation Scheme, will reportedly help upgrade 300,000 of the UK’s least energy efficient homes.
Approximately 80% of municipal taxpayers in Bands A to D will be covered, and the scheme will be implemented from this year until March 2026.
The strategy includes £160m of funding allocated to support new offshore wind farms, with the funding intended to support port infrastructure projects associated with wind farms. I’m doing it.
Planning permits for both new wind and solar farms will also be streamlined to speed up the process and attract new investment.
Ministers also announced the first carbon capture site as part of an existing £20bn investment towards emissions reduction plans. His three sites at Teesside remove his CO2 from the atmosphere and store it under the North Sea.
£240m has been allocated to the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund to support new projects related to hydrogen energy.
Similarly, £380m was put into another fund to support the expansion of the UK’s electric vehicle charging network and investment in the transition to electric vehicles and sustainable aviation fuels.
To support broader investment, an additional £10bn of investment capacity has been allocated to UK Export Finance to boost exports in the clean growth sector.
Some of the things announced in the strategy had been set before, such as £205m to support low-carbon power generation and a new UK Atomic Energy Agency to support nuclear investment in the UK.
What does this strategy mean for consumers?
The government wants Britain to have the cheapest electricity in Europe by 2035 and says the measures announced today will help lower bills in the long run.
However, ministers have acknowledged that the new measures are unlikely to make any changes to household costs this year.
A regime has been extended to allow households to switch to non-fossil fuel boilers, but those who do not may face higher energy bills in the future.
Changes to subsidy rules to improve the use of green energy could increase household costs by up to £100 a year as the cost of using gas for heating increases.
And even with a £5,000 subsidy, installing a heat pump can be incredibly expensive.
Shapps told GB News that those with gas boilers should “keep using them for the time being”, but the “wise thing” is to ensure they are used efficiently. added that.
He also told LBC Radio:
“they [heat pumps] It can be expensive, but recently we’ve seen both British Gas and Octopus move forward and then offer £5,000 heat pumps. [grant] This means paying £3,000 or £2,500, so it’s competitive with installing a regular gas boiler,” he continued.
“So we’re starting to see this come to an equilibrium, which is what it takes to get to a kind of mass fitting of these things.”
However, residents near new onshore wind turbines will be able to receive money off their bills as the government has begun consultations on “community benefits” for areas potentially affected by new green energy projects.
Consider how you can provide incentives to communities for the inconvenience caused by local renewable energy projects.
Onshore wind development has been banned since 2015, but the prime minister has softened his government’s stance since taking office, saying it would consider how such projects could be used.
What’s missing in your strategy?
Government criticized for not including more support for home insulation in modern energy strategy, seen as one of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss from homes and lower utility bills facing
Campaigners stress that the renamed Great British Insulation Scheme will provide little new funding to support energy efficiency measures being installed in more homes.
The Climate Change Commission (CCC), which advises governments on climate change, said in a report last year that there was a “shocking gap” in policies for more insulated housing.
Campaigners are frustrated that funding for home insulation does not appear to have increased significantly. is one of the ways.
“Without new funding for insulation, many homes will be left in the cold,” warned Jess Ralston, energy director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
What do critics say about this strategy?
Friends of the Earth, which successfully filed a legal challenge against the government in a high court that found the Net Zero plan too vague, said the latest announcement was “dangerously lackluster.”
The campaign group’s head of policy, Mike Childs, said the government had previously taken legal action because it “failed to demonstrate how legally-binding climate targets would be met.” said.
“These policies appear dangerously lackluster and climate-deficient, so we are scrutinizing the details of the revised strategy and stand poised to act if ministers fall short again.” he added.
There is also a broader criticism of the strategy’s lack of new announcements, with shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband calling it a “weak, weak groundhog with no reannouncements, reheated policies, and no new investments.” It is called the day of
Mel Evans, Climate Officer, Greenpeace UK, said:
“As climate chaos hits our shores and millions struggle to pay their bills, ministers have once again failed spectacularly in this fragmentary, reheated and confusing announcement. is not enough to meaningfully tackle climate change and provide safe and affordable energy for homes.”
Chris Venables, the Green Alliance’s political director, said he welcomed the changes on electric vehicles, but said, “The plan shows how the government can cut emissions at the rate needed for its own goals.” It is not at all clear whether there are any,” he added.
“The best way to provide energy security, create jobs and tackle climate change is through large-scale investment in existing green technologies,” he continued.
“Where the US sets the bar with its anti-inflation laws, the UK has fallen far short, still largely focused on short-term fixes.”
