The UK government has announced a £630 million ($836 million) investment in clean energy upgrades for public buildings, including schools, hospitals, care homes, and community centres, as part of its ongoing effort to reduce carbon emissions and tackle high energy costs.
The funding, unveiled on Thursday, will support the installation of energy-efficient technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps across various sectors. According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the upgrades are expected to deliver average annual savings of £650 million in energy bills over the next 12 years.
“High energy bills have been a big headache for schools, hospitals, leisure centres and other community facilities in recent years – so it’s great to see them being helped to install energy-saving measures and other green technology that will cut energy costs,” said Louise Shooter, policy manager at industry body Energy UK, in a statement issued by the government.
Projects benefiting from the scheme include the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, which will receive over £14 million to replace fossil fuel heating at two of its sites, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, which has been granted £5 million to install heat pumps. The initiative comes as the government intensifies efforts to meet its climate targets and provide financial relief to public institutions struggling with soaring energy prices.
