Commons Chamber

Wednesday 21st January 2026

(began 1 hour, 44 minutes ago)

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Ed Miliband Portrait Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Doncaster North, Labour)
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about the Warm Homes Plan, which we published today. Mr. speaker, this is a plan focussed on the number is a plan focussed on the number one issue facing our country, the cost of living crisis and on the scourge of fuel poverty, which affects millions of families across Britain. Now at the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor took an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from April. This winter, we've expanded the warm home discount to a total of 6 home discount to a total of 6 million families, and today we allocate £15 billion in our warm homes plan.

Mr. speaker, a more than doubling of public investment in home upgrades compared to the last parliament. In fact, the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history to cut bills and tackle fuel poverty. And in making this investment, we turn the page on a lost decade of the last government's failure home insulation levels falling by more than 90% between 2010 and 2024. The promise of minimum energy efficiency standards for renters broken the cancellation of the Zero Carbon Homes standard and the repeated failures of schemes like the Green Deal, the Green Homes Grant and the Eco scheme.

And worst of all, Mr. Speaker, our dependence on fossil fuels leaving us exposed to the worst energy bills crisis in generations. Mr. speaker, the last government failed time after time. This government is doing the work to put it right here. The starting point for this plan is that clean energy is not only the right choice for energy security and reducing emissions, but for cutting people's bills. And, Madam Deputy Speaker, the public agrees they are showing record demand for technologies like solar batteries and heat pumps that can save families hundreds of pounds a year.

Heat pump sales in Britain have grown by around 50% annually, one of the fastest growing markets in Europe, last year saw a record number of rooftop solar installations, and the driving purpose of this plan is to ensure those benefits are available not just to the wealthiest, but to families throughout our country. At every level of income. The driving purpose of this Labour government to stand up for working people and tackle the affordability crisis. So, Madam Deputy Speaker, let me set out the measures we are announcing in our plan today.

First, today we announced £5 billion of public investment to directly deliver home upgrades for low income families. This will help families living in social housing and low income owner occupiers to have warmer homes and lower bills. In setting out this plan, we're abolishing the failed eco scheme and making the principal decision that we should fund support through public investment, not levies on bills and our plan Madam Deputy Speaker pays heed to all the evidence that says this funding is best delivered with local authorities and mayors in the driving seat.

People, those representing local people, delivering for local people. And at the same time, we recognise the challenges facing suppliers who used to deliver eco. So we will ensure that this extra money is used to help support them. And my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Energy Consumers will convene a working group of contractors, social housing providers and local authorities to oversee this work. Overall, this allocation to tackle fuel poverty is the biggest public investment in tackling fuel poverty in our nation's history.

Second, Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a scandal that 1.6 million children live in private accommodation, suffering from cold, damp or mould, according to Citizens Advice. We on this side believe in a simple principle if you rent a home, private or social, your landlord has a responsibility to ensure it is safe, warm and affordable to heat. The last government, Madam Deputy Speaker, promised higher standards and then they ripped up that promise. Today we deliver. By 2030, private landlords will have to upgrade their properties to meet minimum standards of energy efficiency.

And we have consulted on similar rules in the social rented sector, tackling the scourge of poor quality rented homes and cutting bills for renters. And I can tell the House that these measures alone will lift over half

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poverty. Hear, hear.

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Third, Madam Deputy Speaker, it is right we target help at those most in need. But we know the affordability crisis stretches well affordability crisis stretches well beyond those on low incomes. We want to make it easier for all households to cut their bills by choosing a heat pump, solar or batteries. So building on the steps we took at the Budget to make electricity cheaper, we're electricity cheaper, we're expanding the boiler upgrade scheme, increasing investment every year out to 2030, with, for the first time, a universal offer of 2500 pounds for a heat battery or air to air heat pump, as well as 7500 pounds to install a conventional heat pump.

But I want to go further. Currently, just 1 in 20 homes in Britain have solar panels installed on their rooftops. We are determined to unleash a rooftop revolution, helping many more families generate their own energy to cut their bills. So I can announce that the government is, for the first time ever, setting aside up to £2 billion to subsidise zero and low interest loans for solar panels, batteries and other technologies. Learning from the successful experience of other countries and meeting the demand of people for this technology.

And Madam Deputy Speaker, this is just the first step. With a further 3 billion available for loans and investments over the coming years through our Warm Homes Fund. Fourth, as we upgrade existing homes, we will ensure that new homes are built cheaper to run with solar and clean heating as standard. And Madam Deputy Speaker, this is just common sense. People cannot
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