Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (): Today the Government is announcing a package of
clean energy measures, making solar panels more accessible and
trialling a new way to deliver discounted power from wind. These
measures will help to cut energy bills, reduce carbon emissions,
and support energy security by making the UK less reliant on
imported fossil fuels.
Firstly, we are driving to make plug-in solar panels available to
buy in the UK within months. These panels are cheaper than
traditional rooftop solar panels and do not require professional
installation, making solar power a more accessible option for
flat owners and renters.
Secondly, the Government is publishing the Future Homes Standard,
which will include solar panels on new houses in England by
default. The Future Homes Standard will also see homes built with
low carbon heating such as heat pumps and heat networks.
Thirdly, we are committing to consult on changes to the Smart
Export Guarantee. This will look at how we can make it quicker
and simpler for households and businesses to get paid for the
electricity they export to the grid, and to get the best value
from their clean power.
Fourthly, the Government is publishing a Call for Evidence on its
£5bn Warm Homes Fund, which was announced in the Warm Homes Plan
earlier this year. The Warm Homes Fund includes £1.7bn for a new
consumer loans scheme to support home upgrades including
installation of solar panels. This Call for Evidence will explore
options for using the remaining £3.3bn, and includes solar as a
key area of focus.
Finally, a new trial offering discounted power for households and
businesses in constrained areas near wind turbines, expected
predominantly in Scotland and the East of England, will begin
this winter. Wind farms are currently paid to switch off their
turbines when there isn't enough capacity on the grid to
transport wind generation to where demand is. This trial will
instead allow companies to offer this “wasted wind” cheaply or
for free to consumers of participating energy suppliers or
flexibility service providers who live or operate their business
in grid constrained areas when it is cheaper than turning off
turbines. The trial will be funded by up to £20 million and
delivered jointly by UKRI and DESNZ. It will invite energy
suppliers and other flexibility service providers to put forward
offers for consumers that deliver discounted power.
Measures will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows
to enable the government to make this change permanently based on
the results of the trial. This legislation will allow Final
Consumption Levies (FCLs), which are policy costs that consumers
pay for through their bills, to be removed from energy usage by
consumers near to wind turbines at times when they are generating
abundant wind power that would otherwise need to be turned off.
Relying on imported fossil fuels puts our energy security at
risk. We are addressing that through our Clean Energy Superpower
Mission, and this package of measures is one example of that. We
are building a future energy system which is both secure and
clean while also ensuring consumers will save money on their
energy bills by bolstering cheap renewable energy.
