The UK Labour Party plans to install solar panels in almost 2 million homes in the UK and take the national grid out of private hands, if it comes to power after the next general election.
Labour plans to fit the panels on 1 million social homes and low-income households to tackle fuel poverty, provide free energy and save an average of £117 a year on bills.
The savings rise to £270 for retired households. Any unused electricity generated by the programme will be used by the national grid.
Labour will enable the installation of solar panels on an additional 750,000 homes through a programme of interest free loans, grants and changes to regulations.
The party estimates the policy will create 16,900 jobs and save 7.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 4 million cars off the UK’s roads.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “In this country, too often people are made to feel like the cost of saving the planet falls on them.
“Too many think of green measures as just another way for companies or the government to get money out of them, while the rich fly about in private jets and heat their empty mansions.
“Labour’s approach is different. Our Green Industrial Revolution will benefit working class people with cheaper energy bills, more rewarding well-paid jobs, and new industries to revive the parts of our country that have been held back for far too long.
“By focusing on low income households we will reduce fuel poverty and increase support for renewable energy. Social justice and climate justice as one. Environmental destruction and inequality not only can, but must be tackled at the same time.”
The plans were welcomed by the Solar Trade Association (STA).
STA director of advocacy and new markets Leonie Greene said; “All modern political parties must now think big when it comes to empowering people to act on the biggest issue of our times; climate change.
“The solar industry would relish scaling-up rapidly to deliver on these commendable ambitions which would see deployment rates double compared to the past decade. A solar homes push would give a tremendous boost to green jobs across the UK, which are good quality and local in nature.
“We are particularly pleased to see Labour’s focus on social housing, since solar can save households potentially hundreds of pounds off their energy bills.
“Current policies deter those who need solar the most from accessing it, which is a great shame.”
Labour also plans to nationalise the country’s national grid and transform the network so that it “leads the way in decarbonising our economy”.
The party said that privatisation of the UK’s energy grid is “ripping off customers”, with 25% of energy bills paid out to network companies.
Labour said it will give new public agencies the power and direct responsibility to deliver the party’s climate change targets.
“Instead of pocketing excess profits, publicly owned networks will build out connections to parts of the country with high solar, wind and tidal potential, overcoming the bottlenecks, inefficiencies and underinvestment that has characterised private ownership,” Labour said.
Public energy agencies will also be tasked with tackling fuel poverty and protecting energy as a human right, it said.
A National Energy Agency will own and maintain transmission infrastructure, replacing the National Grid.
“The NEA will ensure access to electricity and heat as a human right and set and oversee targets for decarbonisation to meet Labour’s target of 60% renewable energy by 2030 and net zero carbon before 2050,” Labour said.
A further 14 Regional Energy Agencies will be established to replace existing distribution network operators.
The regional agencies will hold statutory responsibility for decarbonising electricity and heat, hold statutory responsibility for ensuring every household can access affordable energy and reduce fuel poverty, take responsibility for rolling out the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and create local jobs.
Local authorities that want to speed up the energy transition will be able to set up Municipal Energy Agencies (MEAs) to take over responsibility for ownership and operation of distribution networks from the regional bodies, Labour said.
MEAs will own and operate distribution networks, enabling them to integrate networks with local generation and supply, it added.
Labour will also support the establishment of Local Energy Communities to develop small scale energy generation and engage with distribution at the micro level, such as a housing estate, street or small village.
Labour MP and Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Rebecca Long Bailey said: “Climate change represents a risk to our future, but also an opportunity to gather our resources and transform it through a Green Industrial Revolution.
“That means dramatic, public driven and coordinated action, without which we simply will not be able to tackle climate change.
“Only by taking the grid into public ownership can we decarbonise the economy at the pace needed to secure the planet for our children and grandchildren while ending the rip off, creating good jobs in local communities and making heating and electricity a human right.
“That’s why public and collective ownership is a fundamental part of Labour’s Green Industrial Revolution.”