Government to give £3bn to help save energy

Energy savingImage source, Getty Images

The government is going to give £3bn towards a new "green investment" package, to cut carbon emissions.

The plan aims to create tens of thousands of new jobs, while helping the UK cut carbon emissions to almost zero by 2050.

The money will be used to improve insulation in public buildings such as schools and hospitals and adding low-carbon heating technology to social housing.

Insulation is something that stops heat, electricity, or sound from going into or out of it. So, it helps to keep your house the right temperature year round.

People who own houses will also able to apply for up to £5,000 to help make their homes more energy saving.

Under the Green Homes Grant, the government will pay at least two-thirds of the cost of home improvements that save energy, the Treasury said.

Media caption,

Meet the schools fighting to save energy

It said better insulation could save some people £600 a year on energy bills.

The announcement will be made in the chancellor's summer statement on Wednesday, to support efforts to rebuild the economy following coronavirus.

When the Conservative Party, who make up the government, were running for election, they promised to give £9.2bn towards improving the energy efficiency of low income housing and public buildings.

Try these energy saving tips!
  • Don't leave things on stand-by: It might only look like there's a little light on, but not switching stuff off properly wastes a lot of power.

  • Unplug chargers when not in use: Chargers for things like mobile phones and MP3 players use power when they're plugged in - even if they're not charging something.

  • Turn off lights when you leave the room: Some people think if you turn lights on and off, it uses more power than leaving them on. This isn't true.

Let us know what things you do at home to save energy!

Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said the government needed "a much broader and bigger-scale strategy" to meet its target to reduce carbon emissions to net zero.

He called for more money to be given towards nature conservation, increasing renewable energy, supporting manufacturers to be greener, and improving transport.

Media caption,

Classrooms of the future

Rosie Rogers, senior political advisor at environmental charity Greenpeace UK, said "the UK isn't playing in the same league" as other countries, such as Germany, which is investing €40bn (£36bn) in green jobs and energy efficiency, or France, which pledged €15bn to tackle the climate crisis in June.

She said: "Of course, this money is better than nothing, but it doesn't measure up to the economic and environmental crises.

"It's not enough to 'build back greener', and it's certainly not enough to put us on track to tackle the catastrophic impacts of the climate emergency."