Thousands of Wigan homes could get solar panels under new Labour Party plan
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Party leader Jeremy Corbyn says the policy could relieve pressure on low-income families while supporting new industries in neglected parts of the country.
Other news: Body cameras for town hall staff being considered to clamp down on fly-tippingUnder plans announced by Mr Corbyn and Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow business, energy and industrial strategy secretary, a Labour government would fit one million social properties and homes of low-income families across the UK with solar panels.
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Hide AdThe party says the move will help to tackle fuel poverty, providing households with free energy and saving them an average of £117 a year on bills, rising to £270 for retired households.
Any unused electricity generated by the programme would be used by the National Grid, which Labour plans to take into public ownership – raising an additional £66m per year for local authorities.
Social housing makes up 18 per cent of Wigan’s 144,000 homes – around 26,000 properties in total. Labour estimates this means solar panels would be installed at 5,210 properties in the area – roughly 63,000 panels in total, covering 100,000m sq of rooftops.
The policy, which would be funded as part of Labour’s National Transformation Fund, would cost an estimated £2.14bn, the party said. They also plan to invest £350m over 15 years on interest free loans, grants and regulatory changes to help an additional 750,000 properties install solar panels.
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Hide AdLabour estimates its policy will create 16,900 jobs and save 7.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – equivalent to taking 4 million cars off the UK’s roads.
Leonie Greene, from the Solar Trade Association, said: “All modern political parties must think big when it comes to empowering people to act on the biggest issue of our times – climate change. Current policies deter those who need solar the most from accessing it, which is a great shame.”