Heat pumps for new homes, and plug-in solar due in shops in months: Ministers
New homes will be built with solar panels and heat pumps, and rechargeable solar for existing homeowners will be available in shops “within months”, the government has announced.
Ministers also announced plans for energy companies to offer discounted bills on windy days to people living in areas where wind farms are located; otherwise operators would be paid to shut down due to network restrictions.
It is the latest in a series of announcements by the Government, which is doubling down on its clean energy drive in response to the Iran war, which has caused fossil fuel prices to soar, raising the prospect of higher pump prices and rising home energy bills later this year.
Plug-in solar panels, which can connect to a home network using an ordinary plug and are common in places like Germany where people hang them on balconies or fences, will soon hit stores, the government has said.
Officials said they were working with retailers such as Amazon and Lidl, as well as manufacturers such as EcoFlow, to introduce them to the UK market; so shoppers will soon be able to see solar panels in the “middle of Lidl” aisle and other outlets.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the panels cut the amount of electricity drawn from the grid, lowering bills and helping to reduce the UK’s dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets for electricity supplies.
The move to accelerate the deployment of plug-in solar comes as new rules come into force to implement the “homes of the future standard” – building regulations that will set a standard for solar panels and clean heating in new homes.
Under the new standards, homes will be built with heat pumps or connected to heating networks rather than gas boilers, and the majority of homes – with some exceptions – will likely be built with on-site renewable electricity generation, mostly solar power.
The long-awaited implementation of the future homes standard comes a decade after measures ensuring homes were built to net-zero carbon standards were scrapped.
Officials said the measures for new homes could save each property up to £830 a year on energy bills compared to a standard home with an energy performance certificate (EPC) C rating, and create at least 75% fewer carbon emissions than those built to 2013 standards.
An approach to offer customers discounted energy bills on windy days, which will mostly benefit Scotland and Eastern England, will also be rolled out in time for this winter.
Historical underinvestment in the grid means wind farms in these areas must be paid to shut down on windy days when the grid cannot get all the power they produce, officials said.
But the Government plans to bring forward new legislation that will allow energy companies to offer discounted bills to customers in these areas on windy days to use electricity when it is cheap, rather than switching off wind turbines.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The Iran war has shown once again that our push for clean energy is vital to our energy security so we can escape the clutches of fossil fuel markets we have no control over.
“Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or by making it possible for people to buy rechargeable solar power in shops, we are determined to expand clean energy so that we can give our country energy sovereignty.”
Housing Minister Steve Reed said: “Building 1.5 million new homes also means building high-quality homes that are cheaper to run and warmer to live in.
“As we transition to clean, home-grown energy, today’s standard is what the future of housing can and should look like.
“These changes will not only protect hard-working families from shocks abroad, but will also save hundreds of pounds each year on energy bills.”
The moves were welcomed by the energy sector; Dhara Vyas, chief executive of industry body Energy UK, described the future home standard as a “watershed moment” for clean energy in Britain.
“New homes built to this standard will benefit from clean heating solutions and solar energy, protecting households from volatile gas prices and embedding energy security into the home.
“Combined with higher fabric efficiency standards, these homes will be warmer and cheaper to run, delivering real, tangible change to people’s homes.”
He added that the new standards will provide businesses with the long-term certainty they need to invest in manufacturing, grow supply chains and build a skilled workforce.
