Heat pumps for new homes, and plug-in solar due in shops in months – ministers

Ministers also unveiled plans for energy companies to offer discounted bills to people living in areas with wind farms on windy days when operators would otherwise be paid to turn off due to network constraints.

Officials said they were working with retailers such as Amazon and Lidl, alongside manufacturers including EcoFlow, to bring them to the UK market – so shoppers could soon see solar panels in the “middle of Lidl” aisle and other outlets.

The panels cut the amount of electricity being drawn from the grid, lowering bills and helping reduce the UK’s dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets for its electricity supplies, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said.

And an approach, which will mostly benefit Scotland and the East of England, will be launched in time for this winter to offer discounted energy bills to customers on windy days.

Officials said historic underinvestment in the grid meant that wind farms in these areas have to be paid to switch off on windy days when the network cannot take all of the power they generate.

But the Government is looking to bring forward new legislation that would allow energy companies to offer discounted bills to customers in those areas on windy days to use power when it is cheap rather than switching off their wind turbines.

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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The Iran war has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control.

“Not only will these changes protect hardworking families from shocks abroad but will also slash hundreds of pounds off their energy bills every year.”
She added that the new standards would give businesses the long-term certainty they needed to invest in manufacturing, scale up supply chains and build a skilled workforce.