Mayor Sadiq Khan officially launched the latest phase of the Energy for Londoners initiative yesterday, detailing plans to invest £34m in a range of new services and programmes designed to boost energy efficiency and improve access to clean power across the capital.
Khan announced that a new £2.5m package would help address fuel poverty across the capital, offering households up to £4,000 in Warmer Home grants to fund improvements such as new boilers, heating controls and insulation.
In addition, new funding is to be made available to help London Boroughs refer people who are in fuel poverty to services that can help them reduce their energy use and curb their bills.
“It’s a sad fact that for many Londoners keeping their homes warm during the cold winter months is a luxury they simply cannot afford,” Khan said in a statement. “My Energy for Londoners scheme aims to help those most in need with grants for new boilers, windows and home insulation to help cut fuel bills. I’m also working on a number of ambitious projects to generate more local clean energy to power our homes, businesses and communities.”
The Mayor’s Office said these new projects included plans for a new whole-house ‘eco refurbishments’ initiative, which would pilot extensive green upgrades to 10 homes; a £10m commercial boiler scrappage scheme which will start in the Spring and will offer capital grants to businesses switching to more efficient heating systems; and an on-going plan to deliver 1GW of solar capacity across the capital by 2030, including a £4.5m programme to install solar on Transport for London (TfL) buildings.
In addition, the Mayor’s Office confirmed a year-long trial to allow City Hall to supply clean power to TfL has kicked off.
London has become the first public body to secure a junior electricity licence and last month began purchasing low carbon energy from Peabody Services and Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE Heat Networks), to help power two Transport for London depots: Northfields in Ealing and Northumberland Park in Haringey.
Source: businessgreen.com
