Households near pylons to get hundreds off energy bills

People who live near new pylons in England, Wales and Scotland, will get hundreds of pounds off their annual energy bills under plans to boost support for building new energy infrastructure.

The UK Government has set out plans for households living within half a kilometre of new or upgraded power systems such as pylons to get access to a bill discount scheme giving them up to £2,500 on bills over 10 years – equivalent to an annual payment of £250.

The scheme is expected to be in place from 2026 and apply to new onshore, above-ground transmission cables and substations, as well as some major upgrades.

Reward communities

Developers will also be urged to fund projects like sports clubs, educational programmes or leisure facilities as part of efforts to reward communities that host new infrastructure.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “We owe it to the people of this country to get Britain building again. It is no longer a question of whether we build the new infrastructure we need but a question of how and this must be done in lockstep with local communities.

“This government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will slash energy bills for local people living near new projects, so they benefit as we drive forward in our mission to achieve a more prosperous and energy secure future for the next generation.

“This is delivering on our Plan for Change to accelerate growth in every region across the country, raising living standards and putting more money back into the pockets of working people and families.”

According to the UK Government, around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030, describing it as “critical to unleashing growth” with £40 billion a year of mainly private investment, predicted.

Energy secure

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The only way to make Britain energy secure and bring down bills for good is to get Britain off dependence on fossil fuel markets and replace it with clean, homegrown power that we control.

“To do this, we need to get Britain building right now. And as part of that, we are delivering on our landmark commitment to ensure that people who live near infrastructure meaningfully benefit.

“This will benefit the whole country by ensuring we build the clean power system we need.”