Households living near new pylons or electricity substations could receive up to £10,000 off their energy bills over a decade, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce in the Autumn Statement. The move aims to address planning objections and accelerate the approval of new energy infrastructure.
The government plans to halve the time for delivering new electricity networks from 14 to seven years, reducing delays for pylons, overhead cables, and transmission infrastructure. A shake-up of the planning system will include a 'premium service' for faster pre-application processes for major projects.
Low-carbon energy infrastructure will be designated a critical national priority, and the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints will be prioritised, including help for petrol station forecourts to convert into charging hubs. Officials claim speeding up grid connections could bring £90 billion of global investment over the next decade.
A Treasury source said: 'Expanding the grid will unlock global investment for Britain and bring improvements for people across the country, with energy security that will keep energy costs down.' However, the Treasury declined to say who would fund the discounts.
Critics have raised concerns. Matt Copeland of National Energy Action said compensation is right but not a substitute for supporting vulnerable households. Labour's Darren Jones accused the government of being 'out of ideas', while Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney warned of a 'postcode lottery'.
