Powering Homes news, page 17
- January 2026
Public Accounts Committee publishes report on faulty energy efficiency installations
The Public Accounts Committee has reported 30,000 homes with defective energy efficiency installations and called for independent supervision of wall insulation retrofit schemes.
Welsh Government announces £98.75 million for next round of Optimised Retrofit Programme
The Welsh Government has announced £98.75 million for the next round of the Optimised Retrofit Programme, taking total investment in social housing energy efficiency since 2020 past £466 million.
Future Homes Standard publication confirmed for Q1 2026
The Warm Homes Plan confirms the Future Homes Standard will be published in the first quarter of 2026, alongside £15 billion to upgrade five million homes by 2030.
Green Alliance publishes visual report on cutting home energy bills
Green Alliance has published a visual report setting out insulation standards, heat pump and solar panel rollout as ways to cut household energy bills permanently and tackle fuel poverty.
BUS funding for 2026-2030 announced
Ofgem has confirmed the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run to 2030, with funding for 2026 to 2030 announced on 21 January 2026 under the Warm Homes Plan and rule changes in force from 28 April 2026.
Consumer Scotland publishes response to Ofgem consultation on energy debt when consumers move house
Consumer Scotland has responded to an Ofgem consultation on energy debt arising when consumers move house, tentatively supporting reform while setting out risks and recommendations.
Rules and RegulationEnergy SuppliersEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Fuel Poverty Strategy for England first published
The government has published its Fuel Poverty Strategy for England, setting out six priority outcomes for tackling fuel poverty, with a correction to Figure 9 made five days later.
Government responds to EPC reform consultation and publishes MEES response alongside Warm Homes Plan
The government has confirmed that privately rented homes in England and Wales must reach EPC C across two metrics by October 2030, publishing its EPC reform and MEES responses alongside the Warm Homes Plan.
Government response to heat network zoning consultation published
The government has published its response to the 2023 consultation on heat network zoning in England, setting out how feedback shaped policy on zone identification, requirements and delivery.
Octopus Energy thermal camera loan scheme closed for winter
Octopus Energy's thermal camera loan scheme for customers is closed for this winter after demand outstripped supply, with a waiting list for when it reopens.
Stelrad updates heat loss calculator and radiator sizing software
Stelrad has upgraded every version of its heat loss calculator and radiator sizing software, adding electric and conventional heating options and updated NHBC and CIBSE figures for installers, specifiers and homeowners.
New warm homes agency to be established and Salix abolished
The government has set out a Warm Homes Plan allocating £15 billion, abolishing the ECO scheme and Salix, and creating a new warm homes agency to consolidate delivery functions.
Warm Homes Plan first published
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published the Warm Homes Plan on 21 January 2026, a policy paper setting out how it intends to cut energy bills and upgrade homes.
First universal grants for heat batteries and air-to-air heat pumps announced
The Government has set out a £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, including a first universal £2,500 grant for heat batteries and air-to-air heat pumps alongside £7,500 for conventional heat pumps.
Government launches £15 billion Warm Homes Plan
The government has launched a £15 billion Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to five million homes, cut bills and lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.
Nesta analysis finds Warm Homes Plan could save households up to £1,000 on bills
Nesta analysis published on 20 January 2026 projects that a household adding a heat pump, solar panels and a battery under the Warm Homes Plan could cut its annual energy bill by about £1,000.
Citizens Advice responds to DESNZ's Tariff Interoperability consultation
Citizens Advice has backed government plans to standardise electricity tariff data so households can compare deals and switch more easily, while warning that small business suppliers may be left out.
Naps Independent Energy Advice listed as inactive by Energy Ombudsman
The Energy Ombudsman has recorded the broker Naps Independent Energy Advice as inactive, with its membership of the dispute scheme shown as ending on 19 January 2026.
Record 8.4GW of offshore wind secures CfD contracts in AR7
The government's seventh Contracts for Difference auction has awarded a record 8.4GW of offshore wind capacity, split between five fixed-foundation projects and two floating schemes.
Crisis and Resilience Fund page first published
The Department for Work and Pensions has published guidance for the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a grant scheme running in England from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
SSEN announces around £100m Swindon network upgrade programme
SSEN Distribution has begun an upgrade programme worth around £100m to strengthen the electricity network for more than 140 thousand customers in Swindon and the surrounding area by the turn of the decade.
SSEN returns to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level for north of Scotland
SSEN has returned to its first heightened preparedness level for the north of Scotland, bringing in extra engineers and contact centre staff ahead of high winds, low temperatures and further snow.
Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandWhere Our Energy Comes From
Consumer Scotland publishes response opposing moving Warm Home Discount costs to unit rate
Consumer Scotland has told the UK government not to move Warm Home Discount costs from standing charges to unit rates, saying higher-use households would pay more and the change should wait for Ofgem's wider review.
Solarfair Ltd trading as Ekinect Energy recorded as inactive
The Energy Ombudsman has recorded Solarfair Ltd, trading as the energy broker Ekinect Energy, as inactive, with its membership of the scheme ending on 7 January 2026.
SSEN moves to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level ahead of Storm Goretti
SSEN has moved to its first heightened preparedness level in central southern England before Storm Goretti, texting more than 400,000 Priority Services customers as gale-force winds are forecast.
Consultation on WHD cost recovery closed
The government has confirmed that energy suppliers should recover Warm Home Discount costs from the unit rate rather than the standing charge from 1 April 2026, after a consultation that drew 778 responses.
Citizens Advice responds to consultation on amending ECO4 order for grant-funded cost recovery
Citizens Advice has backed amending the ECO4 order so suppliers are paid through Exchequer funding rather than higher bills, while warning that retrospective payments must not cut future fuel poverty funding.
Warm Homes Plan launched
The UK's Warm Homes Plan launched in January 2026 with £15 billion of public investment, covering grants, loans and supplier-funded schemes to upgrade homes across the UK.
2026 Flexi variable charges take effect from 1 January 2026
ScottishPower has published the variable cost breakdown for its 2026 Flexi product, showing the charges that apply from 1 January 2026 and the revised values due from 1 April 2026.
Affordability issues reach highest level since Aug/Sep'23
Ofgem's Energy Consumer Satisfaction Survey for January 2026 shows the share of households falling behind on bills or running out of prepayment credit for affordability reasons rose to 12 per cent, the highest since August/September 2023.