£3bn green plan ‘to save money, cut carbon and create jobs’

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak today confirmed government pledges to boost the green economy with good news for homes, jobs and businesses.

The key green points from his speech:

  • £3 billion to upgrade buildings and create jobs
  • £2 billion of that for insulation costs and green home upgrades.

That’s a huge boost, and businesses and homeowners should feel confident that they can join in and reap the rewards of investing in energy efficiency.

As Rishi Sunak told MPS:

“This is a £3 billion green jobs plan to save money, cut carbon and create jobs.”

What people should take away from his speech in the House of Commons this lunchtime is that they now have the best chance in a generation to use energy efficiency as a way to cut bills and reduce carbon emissions.

Helping hand

It is what we at SaveMoneyCutCarbon have focused fully on since we launched the company over seven years ago so we are here to help homeowners and businesses make the most of the government’s financial support. Call us to discuss ways you can plan your energy and water savings.

There is time to scheme out the best ways to benefit from the Green Homes Grant that will be available from September while taking steps now to cut bills and reduce carbon footprint.

The Chancellor advised that over 650,000 households should benefit with £300 a year in savings on energy bills with a total of half a megatonne in carbon emission reductions – the equivalent of taking 270,000 cars off the road. And the plans will create 140,000 green jobs.

The £2 billion voucher scheme will help homeowners with insulation and green home upgrades, covering at least two-thirds of the costs up to £5,000 in general but with the poorest households able to have full costs covered up to £10,000.

Online applications

The scheme aims to be fully spent in one financial year and will launch with online applications for recommended energy efficiency measures, along with details of accredited local suppliers. After a supplier gives a quote and the work is approved, the voucher will be issued.

The government plans that around half the total fund will go to the poorest homeowners.

At the same time, public buildings such as schools, hospitals, military bases and prisons will get £1 billon to pay for measures including insulation, efficiency and green heating technology to cut emissions and save energy.

The government is also launching a £50 million pilot project to test innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing in England with measures like heat pumps, insulation and double glazing, improving a sector dogged poor energy efficiency.

Looking longer term, the government has committed itself in its manifesto to a £9.2 billion building energy efficiency programme, including a £2.9 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and a £2.5 billion Home Upgrade Grant programme to be delivered over five years, as well as a £3.8 billion Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to be delivered over 10 years.

Climate emergency

Environmental groups were cautious about the longer-term prospects for green recovery beyond the next 12 months.

Greenpeace UK’s head of green recovery Rosie Rogers said:

“Surely this is just a down payment? The German government’s pumping a whopping £36 billion into climate-cutting, economy-boosting measures and France is throwing £13.5 billion at tackling the climate emergency. £3 billion isn’t playing in the same league. Of course this money is better than nothing, but it doesn’t measure up to the economic and environmental crises.”

Call us now to discuss ways to cut your energy bills and reduce carbon in your homes, schools and hospitals.

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