Thousands of households living near new or upgraded electricity infrastructure are set to receive £250 off their energy bills every year. The scheme applies to homes close to dozens of electricity transmission projects across Britain, including new pylons, overhead power lines, and substations.
Households within 500 metres of eligible infrastructure will receive the annual discount for up to 10 years, potentially saving £2,500 in total. The first 43 projects covered by the scheme have been revealed, with sites from the Highlands of Scotland to north-west Wales, East Anglia, and the Midlands.
Scotland leads with two-thirds of projects
Around two-thirds of the first projects are in Scotland, where major work is planned to connect growing amounts of wind power to the electricity network. The Government says Britain's electricity grid needs major investment after being originally designed around coal and gas-fired power stations.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast: "I totally accept that people might not like that, but it is critical national infrastructure and it has to be built somewhere." He added that building infrastructure causes disruption, but the country has been "held back" by not having the infrastructure it needs.
Payments and funding
Most eligible households will have the discount automatically applied to their electricity bills every six months. Some people, including those using commercial meters, may need to apply. The first payments are expected to begin early next year, with eligible households receiving more information from their supplier or Ofgem.
The scheme will be funded by adding approximately 80p a year to energy bills. An assessment earlier this year estimated that between 120,000 and 160,000 households could eventually receive the discount as more projects are rolled out.
Opposition from campaigners
The plans have faced opposition from some people living near proposed infrastructure. Kate Matthews, from campaign group Save Our Mearns, told the BBC: "£2,500 off electricity bills over 10 years is a slap in the face for residents facing ruined businesses and unsellable homes." She said the plans had caused "mental anguish" for residents facing a decade of development and then "a lifetime of pylons impacting on their environment, agriculture, tourism, property values, physical and visual amenity to name a few".
Full list of first eligible projects
England:
- North London Reinforcement – Upgrading overhead power lines between Waltham Cross and Tottenham.
- Bramford to Twinstead Tee – New electricity lines and cables between Suffolk and Essex.
- Norwich to Tilbury – A new network of pylons and cables between Suffolk and Essex.
- Grimsby to Walpole – A new overhead power line between Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
- North Humber to High Marnham – New electricity lines between East Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
- Chesterfield to Willington – New overhead lines and substations across Derbyshire.
- Brinsworth to High Marnham – Upgrades to existing overhead power lines across Derbyshire.
- Eastern Green Link 3 – A new converter station in the Walpole area of Norfolk.
- Eastern Green Link 4 – A new converter station in the Walpole area of Norfolk.
- Sea Link – A new converter station in East Anglia.
Scotland:
- Banniskirk Hub – A new substation in the Spittal area of the Highlands.
- Cambushinnie – A new substation near the village of Braco in Perthshire.
- Fort Augustus substation – Upgrades to the existing substation at Auchterawe.
- Spittal - Loch Buidhe - Beauly – Reinforcing an overhead power line across 107 miles of the Highlands.
- Beauly - Peterhead – A new overhead power line.
- Carnaig substation – A new substation near Loch Buidhe in Sutherland.
- Hurlie substation – A new substation on land at Fetteresso Forest in Aberdeenshire.
- Kintore – Tealing – New lines along a 66-mile (106km) route between Kintore in Aberdeenshire and Tealing in Angus.
- Fanellan substation and converter station – New electricity infrastructure at Fanellan, near Beauly.
- Creag Dhubh – Dalmally – Upgrades to the electricity transmission network in the Argyll region.
- Edinbane substation – An upgrade to a substation on the Isle of Skye.
- Broadford substation – An upgrade to a substation on the Isle of Skye.
- Skye overhead line – Reinforcing the line between Ardmore on the Isle of Skye and Fort Augustus.
- Netherton Hub – A new substation and converter station hub in Aberdeenshire.
- Tealing - Westfield – Improvements to the line between Tealing in Angus and Westfield in Fife.
- Bingally substation – A new substation in the Highlands.
- Greens (New Deer 2) substation – A new facility near the existing New Deer substation in Aberdeenshire.
- Lewis Hub – A new substation and converter station in the Western Isles.
- Emmock substation – A new substation in Angus.
- Crarae substation – A new substation north-west of Minard in Argyll.
- Coalburn substation – A new substation in South Lanarkshire.
- Mark Hill substation – Upgrades to the existing Mark Hill facility in South Ayrshire.
- Stranoch lines and substation – New electricity lines and a substation across Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire.
- Chirmorie – A connection project for a wind farm in South Ayrshire.
- Branxton substation – A new substation in East Lothian.
- Sanquhar substation – A new substation in Dumfries and Galloway.
- Denny to Wishaw – New overhead power lines across central Scotland.
- Westfield to South Humber – An underground and undersea cable between Lincolnshire and Fife.
- Kincardine North – Tealing – An upgrade project between Tealing, near Dundee, and Kincardine in Fife.
- Kincardine North substation – An upgrade to an existing substation in Fife.
- Kincardine North – Wishaw – Reinforcement of electricity lines between Fife and Lanarkshire.
- Gala North – Harker Area – A new long-distance power line linking England and Scotland.
Wales:
- Pentir to Trawsfynydd – New cables and upgrades to the electricity network in north-west Wales.
