Barry White
Money from the government’s public sector decarbonisation scheme could reportedly be diverted to a new programme according to recent press reports. The prime minister has reportedly asked ministers to find existing government schemes that could “lose” £1 billion in total funding in favour of insulation of low income households.
According to The Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-hatches-plan-to-insulate-britons-against-winter-bills-vg7xdjg3h?t=ie) they are exploring the option of diverting this cash from the £1 billion Public Sector Decarbonisation scheme which provides grants for public sector bodies, including hospitals and schools to fund heat decarbonisation and energy savings measures.
The Times has been told that during one meeting a No 10 official suggested it could be called “insulate Britain”. However, it appears that the idea was rejected when someone pointed out that it was the same name as the environmental activist group which has be accused of causing widespread disruption. The group has blockaded the M25 and other UK motorways as well as roads in London and the Port of Dover. It campaigns for government to improve the insulation of all UK social housing by 2025 and retrofit all homes with improved insulation by 2030.
The reported plans could involve the expansion of the existing Energy Company Obligation scheme, a government energy efficiency scheme which aims to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. The scheme began in April 2013, and over time it has been amended. The latest policy, EC04 is the final phase of the 2013 scheme. In April it replaced EC03 with the aim of improving the energy efficiency of more UK households and will operate for a four year period to 31 March 2026 (details at: https://ukenergysupport.co.uk/eco4-scheme/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20ECO4%20scheme,efficiency%20of%20more%20UK%20households
More at: https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/06/16/boris-in-pursuit-of-1bn-for-massive-insulation-scheme/
