Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Fiona Harvey Environment editor

Heat pumps and insulation would cut UK living costs more than new oilfields, study suggests

Rows of residential houses with solar panels fill a hillside view of Kirkcaldy, Fife
Housing in Kirkcaldy, Fife. The analysis found Rosebank jobs would be concentrated in the North Sea and in two companies, one of which was an overseas investor. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

Insulating Britain’s homes and investing in heat pumps would do more to cut the cost of living, create jobs and boost the UK’s economy than drilling for new oil, research suggests.

The government’s £15bn warm homes plan, currently under threat of cuts as ministers seek budget savings, would slash £1bn a year from household energy bills across the UK, concentrated on those on low incomes, according to research by the thinktank E3G. It would also provide a £1.6bn yearly boost to the economy, and about 50,000 new jobs spread across thousands of small businesses.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.