The Energy Secretary will today outline a package of measures to go “further and faster” in the pursuit of national energy security as a response to events in the Middle East.

The Energy Secretary is today setting out an accelerated package of energy interventions to boost the UK’s energy security:

• Announcing that “plug-in solar”, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space, will be made available in the UK for the first time.
• Announcing that we intend to bring forward the Government’s next annual renewables auction to July, inviting renewables companies to invest in UK energy. The most recent round was the biggest ever and alongside the previous auction, we have confirmed enough clean power to power the equivalent of 23 million homes.
• Following the implementation of the Fingleton Review into speeding up the building of nuclear power stations, confirmation that the government will apply the lessons of the review to other infrastructure such as renewables.

The Government has taken immediate action to support consumers, including working with the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure that fuel suppliers cannot engage in unfair practices towards consumers such as price gouging.

The CMA has set out plans to step up monitoring of the road fuel sector to rapidly identify any signs that fuel stations are exploiting the situation. It has also written to heating oil firms to obtain further evidence and assess whether their practices raise consumer protection concerns.

The CMA has the power to fine companies if it finds consumer or competition law has been broken, and the Government fully supports the CMA’s statement that it will not hesitate to do so.

The Government has also stepped up fuel industry compliance with Fuel Finder, its petrol and diesel price comparison scheme. The major retailer Asda has now confirmed its forecourts will be listed on Fuel Finder, taking the scheme’s reach to almost 100% of pumps across the country.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Global events demonstrate there’s not a moment to waste in our drive for clean power because there can be no energy security while we are so dependent on fossil fuels.

So today I’m announcing a series of initiatives to speed up our clean power mission: bringing forward the next renewables auction just months after our most successful ever, announcing that plug in solar will be available for the first time in Britain and speeding up our warm homes plan.

Everything we are doing is about one purpose: fighting the corner of the British people by taking back control of our energy.

Notes

• Easy-to-install, plug-in solar could see households make significant savings on their energy bills. Plug-in solar is already widely used in homes across Europe, with Germany seeing around half a million new devices plugged in last year alone. The Government will work at pace with the relevant bodies, consumer groups and industry to introduce new standards and amend regulations to get these onto the market as soon as possible.
• The portable, plug-in solar panels can be placed in gardens or on walls and balconies – providing a new, simple alternative for renters and flat owners who may not have the option of rooftop solar.
• The free solar power can then be safely plugged into a mains socket like any other device, at no extra cost – thereby reducing the amount of electricity taken from the grid and cutting energy bills.

Allocation Round 8 

• The Government’s most recent auction round delivered the single biggest procurement of offshore wind that Europe has seen, confounding the global challenges facing the industry and securing a major vote of confidence in the UK’s clean energy mission.
• Today we are confirming that we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July 2026- giving certainty to clean energy investors.

Warm Homes Plan 

• Earlier this year, the Government launched its landmark £15bn Warm Homes Plan, the largest public investment in British history to upgrade homes and cut bills. To protect families from energy shocks, and to get upgrades like insulation, solar panels and heat pumps into homes as soon as possible, we are today accelerating the next round of devolved funding for local mayors to deliver home upgrades in their areas. The mayors of Liverpool, London and West Yorkshire will receive funding to upgrade low-income homes street by street, joining the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands in having this £130m of funding fully devolved.
• The Minister for Energy Consumers will meet with local government and the supply chain in the coming days to make sure this investment quickly reaches the households who need it most.

Government record on energy security since July 2024 

• Secured enough clean, homegrown power for 23m homes through two record-breaking renewables auctions.
• Fast tracked planning decisions for solar and wind projects, with DESNZ taking two thirds of all nationally significant planning decisions since July 2024.
• Turbocharged the drive for nuclear power: driving forward on Sizewell C, investing in the UK’s first small modular reactors in North Wales and setting out our plan to implement the Fingleton recommendations to speed up the building of new nuclear.
• Delivered the biggest public investment in homes upgrades in British history, with £15bn public investment to install technologies like solar and batteries to cut bills and shield families from fossil fuel shocks.
• Confirmed that new homes will be built with solar as standard under the Future Homes Standard.