Latest news with #WarmHomesDiscount
New Statesman
20-06-2025
- Business
- New Statesman
Ed Miliband keeps winning
Photo byIt's been a cheery couple of weeks for Ed Miliband. Despite a raft of negative briefings in the weeks prior to the spending review, Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ended up being one of Rachel Reeves' biggest winners. Alongside the cancellation of a previously trailed cut to the Warm Homes Plan, DESNZ received a 16 per cent increase in spending power (more than any other department). And now, following a period of internal wrangling with the Number 10 and the Treasury, the former Labour leader has announced the extension of the Warm Homes Discount, a policy which offers a £150 energy bills discount to those on low incomes. Insiders tell me it is something the Energy Secretary has been working on behind the scenes for months. Energy bills – and the government's pledge to cut them by £300 before the end of the parliament – will be a key metric of Labour's success at the next election. Frustration over the slow pace of reduction, alongside fury over the Winter Fuel Payment, were big issues on the doorstep during the locals (it wasn't a good night for Labour). In the wake of voting, one insider close to Miliband pointed to the Warm Homes Discount – which was first introduced in 2011 – and questioned why the government did not make more of it following the decision to cut Winter Fuel. It is, after all, a means-tested benefit intended to support not just elderly people, but millions of households on low incomes to reduce their energy bills. The extension announced on Thursday will see a further 2.7 million households eligible to receive this benefit; over 6 million households will now be able to access the discount. It will be paid for via a deal which the government has struck with the energy regulator, Ofgem. Currently, energy bills include the socialised costs of energy companies' unpaid debts, the government has done a deal to reduce the overall debt burden on energy companies. This accompanies the recent cut to the Energy Price Cap, which comes into effect in July, meaning a double whammy of energy bill reductions. All of this suggests that despite speculation that Keir Starmer might be about to make an about-turn on support for net zero, the Prime Minister is firmly staying put. Not only has Miliband's funding been bolstered, but his department has been responsible for some of the government's most recent positive news: 100,000 new jobs at Sizewell C, solar panels for newbuild homes, schools, and hospitals, and now the extension of the Warm Homes Discount. And Starmer has made clear that, in directly taking on Nigel Farage, he won't look to ape the Reform UK's net zero scepticism but will seek to prove how the green transition can help low-income, marginalised communities, as well as slashing the UK's carbon emissions. That Starmer is staying close to Miliband is unsurprising. The PM has, after all, always been environmentally minded (he is a pescatarian, did you know?). Perhaps his most famous case as a human rights lawyer was representing two Greenpeace Activists against McDonalds in the 1997 McLibel trial. Starmer, who's former Kentish Town home is a short walk from Miliband's ends in Dartmouth Park, was also encouraged to run to be an MP in 2015 by his predecessor as Labour leader. The pair have a shared political history; it's easy to speculate that Starmer feels some loyalty there. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Connections aside, it's clear Starmer sees the electoral benefit of his Energy Secretary's clean power drive, particularly after the disastrous Winter Fuel Payment saga and the government's subsequent U-turn. Reducing the UK's reliance on imported natural gas and other fossil fuels will lead to lower energy bills; a result on which Starmer's premiership will be heavily judged (and to some extent, already is). And in this new turbulent international climate – the arguments for energy security remain; Miliband was the first to make them. After months of underestimation from his detractors, the Energy Secretary and his agenda are safe, for the time being. It all now rests on the success of his delivery. Related
Daily Record
19-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Warm Home Discount Scheme to expand and pay six million people £150 this winter
A further 240,000 households in Scotland will receive the energy bill boost this winter. Millions of households will see their energy bills cut by £150 this winter, as the UK Government delivers another major package of support to ease the cost of living for working families through the Plan for Change. Over 6 million households will benefit this year - an increase of 2.7m households, including 900,000 more families with children and a total of 1.8m households in fuel poverty. Every billpayer on means-tested benefits will now qualify, removing restrictions that previously excluded many who needed help and providing peace of mind to millions more families. The move will see 240,000 Scottish households receive the discount for the first time this winter. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the major expansion of support for working families is the latest in a raft of cost of living support made possible because the UK Government has stabilised the economy, fixed the foundations and repaired the public finances - deliberate choices which are helping provide security and more money in the pockets of working families through the Plan for Change. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. "Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change. I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference." Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: "Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change." The energy price cap is also falling in July and today's announcement adds a further £150 in direct support for millions. This expansion of the Warm Homes Discount means families can plan for winter in the knowledge that they will receive support, giving them certainty and peace of mind before summer. The UK Government said it has also protected working people's payslips from higher taxes, frozen fuel duty and are increasing the minimum wage to give pay rises of up to £1,400 a year to millions of low-income workers. Pensioners across the UK with an income below £35,000 will also receive either a Winter Fuel Payment or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment this year, worth between £200 and £305. The expansion of the Warm Home Discount will be offset by new efficiency savings across the energy system. For example, Ofgem have confirmed a decrease in the operating cost allowance of the price cap for the average billpayer which will take money off bills. Ofgem's plans to reduce the overall stock of consumer debt, which is currently recouped via a levy on all bills, will also produce savings that help to fund the Warm Homes Discount. Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, National Energy Action said: "It's hugely positive that across Great Britain, many more low-income households on means-tested benefits will get some direct support to tackle unaffordable bills and record energy debts this winter. "Vitally, this includes many more low-income working-age households with children, who are living with the daily consequences of not having access to enough energy at home." The change will mean that all households where the means-tested benefit recipient (or their partner or legal appointee) is named on the energy bill will now be eligible to receive the £150 electricity bill rebate. It's important to be aware the money is paid directly to the energy supplier. The number of families who will receive the discount for the first time, broken down by region, include: Scotland: 240,000 Wales: 110,000 North East England: 100,000 North West England: 280,000 Yorkshire and the Humber: 210,000 East Midlands: 160,000 West Midlands: 270,000 East of England: 250,000 London: 570,000 South East England: 350,000 South West England: 220,000
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Over 2.7million households to get free £150 cost of living cash this winter in big update
The move comes just a week after the government's Winter Fuel Allowance u-turn HELPING HAND Over 2.7million households to get free £150 cost of living cash this winter in big update Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MORE than 2.7 million households are set to benefit from a £150 cost-of-living benefit this winter. An additional 2.7 million households will now be eligible for the subsidy, which will apply to every billpayer on means-tested benefits. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The new measure will apply to every billpayer on means-tested benefits Credit: Getty 3 The subsidy will apply to every billpayer on means-tested benefits Credit: Getty It will take the total number of claimants to more than six million. The expansion is the latest in a series of cost-of-living measures Sir Keir Starmer hopes will placate Labour rebels furious at welfare cuts. The PM said: 'I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. 'I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference.' The new expansion to the cost-of-living measures will see 900,000 families with children and a total of 1.8 million households in fuel poverty will benefit this year. The Government has said the expansion of the Warm Homes Discount means families will be able to plan for winter knowing they will be offered support. The government has also frozen fuel duty and are increasing the minimum wage. Bill payers living in England and Wales will qualify for the discount if they receive means-tested benefits. Following Rachel Reeves' u-turn on the Winter Fuel Allowance last week everyone over the State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment this year. The move comes after the chancellors disastrous attempt to axe the universal Winter Fuel Payment in July last year just weeks after entering office. Keir Starmer confirms huge winter fuel payment U-turn But fears have been raised immediately by economists that taxes will have to rise to pay for the winter fuel u-turn. The Treasury say there will be no permanent additional borrowing to pay for the move. A total of nine million pensioners are set to benefit from the payment this year. 3 Everyone over the State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year will benefit Credit: Getty The Government plans to offset the expansion of the Warm Homes Discount with new efficiency savings across the energy system. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change." Part of the Plan for Change, the government hopes the expansion of the Warm Homes Discount will help to combat the cost-of-living crisis and directly benefit working families. The Government has estimated that 100,000 families in North East England, 280,000 in north West England and 270,000 in the West Midlands will receive the benefit for the first time. Meanwhile 110,000 families in Wales and 240,000 in Scotland will receive it this winter for the first time.
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'Working people paid for Tory failure - we're putting more money in pockets'
This Labour government was elected on the promise of change. Mirror readers know all too well that we've faced difficult times as a country over the last few years. People up and down the country were failed by a Conservative government who crashed the economy and sent prices soaring. It was working people who paid the price. But this government is working day and night to deliver on our promise of change, and on our number one mission to put more money in people's pockets. Today we're announcing how we're protecting low-income families and pensioners by extending the Warm Homes Discount. This will mean nearly 3 million extra households across the UK will receive £150 off their energy bills from this winter. That means a total of over 6 million households will now be eligible for the discount. This is just part of our wider mission to keep the cost of heating people's homes as low as possible. But that's not all we're doing. In just the last week we extended the £3 bus fare cap, funded free school meals for over half a million more children, and we're delivering our plans for free breakfast clubs for every child in the country. Since we entered government less than a year ago, we've acted to stabilise the economy through making difficult decisions on tax and spend – and it's working. Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. Interest rates have come down four times, mortgages are cheaper, and pensions are protected. We have shielded working people's payslips from higher taxes, frozen fuel duty and boosted the minimum wage to give pay rises of up to £1,400 a year to millions of low-income workers. These are the choices we are making. Through our Plan for Change we're investing in Britain's renewal, to make you and your family better off.
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Labour Party explains how it will cut £300 a year from UK energy bills
The Labour Party repeatedly made the pledge during its General Election campaign last year Labour has shed more light on its ambitious plan to slash energy bills by £300 annually by 2030. The party repeatedly touted this promise during its General Election campaign last year, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reaffirmed the commitment since taking office. SNP MP Seamus Logan queried the Government in Parliament about from what level the Government plans to bring down energy bills £300 when the change is achieved. Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh responded, saying: "The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. "The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past." The Warm Homes Plan includes additional funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which offers grants to support the transition from fossil fuel heating systems to heat pumps or biomass boilers. Through this scheme, households can receive £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump, or £5,000 towards a biomass boiler. Government figures indicate that switching to a heat pump could save families about £100 annually on energy bills in contrast to using a gas boiler, while insulating a home could result in even greater savings of roughly £200 a year. Ms Fahnbulleh further explained the Government's strategy, saying: "We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. "On February 25, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. "The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses." The Warm Homes Discount offers a one-off £150 deduction from your electricity bill. Those who qualify include people on the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit as well as those on a low income or who are receiving certain means-tested benefits. Ministers are considering broadening the scope of the discount to include everyone on means-tested benefits. Most of the time, eligible suppliers will automatically deduct the discount from your bill — the funds aren't transferred directly to you. These suppliers are part of the scheme: 100Green (formerly Green Energy UK or GEUK) Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy Boost British Gas Bulb Energy – see Octopus Energy Co-op Energy - see Octopus Energy E - also known as E (Gas and Electricity) Ecotricity Next EDF Fuse Energy Good Energy Home Energy London Power Octopus Energy Outfox the Market OVO Rebel Energy Sainsbury's Energy Scottish Gas – see British Gas ScottishPower Shell Energy Retail So Energy Tomato Energy TruEnergy Utilita Utility Warehouse.
