UK councils limit energy efficiency grants amid high demand
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Thousands of British residents will not receive promised energy efficiency upgrades this winter because local councils are overwhelmed with applications for grants.
Councils across the United Kingdom are closing their waiting lists for the Warm Homes Plan, a government initiative offering funding for solar panels, insulation, and heat pumps. These authorities requested £1.7 billion in funding at the end of 2024, but have only received £500 million to distribute through 2028.
As a result, councils like Liverpool, Leeds, and Tunbridge Wells have stopped accepting new applications. Sheffield City Council estimates over 26,000 homes in its area are in fuel poverty, but available funds will only allow upgrades to around 1,000 of them by 2028. Lewisham Council faces a similar situation, with enough funding to improve only 800 of 4,500 eligible homes by 2028.
Experts at E3G are urging the government to release the promised funding, especially with potential increases in energy bills on the horizon. The government committed to £4.4 billion in grants through the Warm Homes Plan, but has so far only provided a fraction of that amount. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero faces budget cuts to fund the £15 billion Defence Investment Plan, raising concerns that the Warm Homes Plan won’t receive the necessary funding.
