Warrington South MP Andy Carter has welcomed the latest Government funding for Warrington from the £400million Public Sector Decarbonisation Grant Scheme. The scheme supports public sector bodies such as schools and hospitals to move away from using fossil fuels to generate heat and energy and instead use low carbon technology.
As part of the latest funding round, Warrington will receive almost £6million in total as part of the scheme. Of this, The Challenge Academy Trust has been granted £5,088,719 which will go towards improving energy efficiency and reducing bills in their schools across Warrington, while Warrington Borough Council will also receive two pots of funding of £343,218 and £554,280.
The Government will also launch a suite of tools, templates and guidance to support the public sector in decarbonising their sites. This has been produced by, and will be hosted on the website of, Energy Systems Catapult. It includes tools to calculate BAU energy use, procurement templates and clear, accessible guidance.
Andy Carter MP said: “I’m delighted to see the Government supporting the public sector in Warrington with this latest round of decarbonisation grants. It’s particularly great to see that The Challenge Academy Trust in Warrington are receiving over £5million of funding to upgrade their heating systems, making our local schools greener and cutting their energy bills.
“While we all recognise how crucial it is that we transition towards net zero, it’s important that this mission doesn’t have the unintended consequence of saddling taxpayers with unrealistic costs. In moving towards cleaner and cheaper renewable energy, we are further reducing our dependence on fossil fuels which have been exposed to volatile global energy prices and, as a result, supporting jobs and saving people more money.”
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps MP said: “This winter, we have all become acutely aware of our energy bills and how best to keep our homes warm. In the face of Putin’s war driving up prices, we have already stepped to pay around half of the average household’s energy bills to help get through the winter months.
“Today, we are going even further to boost energy efficiency and bring down bills for those who need it the most.”
