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Libraries, fire stations and care homes in local communities will benefit from cheaper energy bills through Great British Energy community funding as part of Plan for Change
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Mayoral authorities to receive a share of £10 million for publicly-owned clean energy projects
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Complements Great British Energy’s drive to cut bills for around 200 schools and 200 hospitals, which is already seeing savings
Libraries, fire stations and care homes in local communities will benefit from cheaper energy bills as Great British Energy delivers on the government’s clean energy superpower mission to make working people and their communities better off.
Great British Energy, the government’s publicly-owned clean energy company, has awarded mayoral authorities a share of £10 million in grant funding to roll out clean energy projects at the centre of communities – including rooftop solar on Merseyside care homes and on leisure centres and libraries in Yorkshire.
These grants will mean that the community services and institutions that working people use will be able to save on their electricity bills and spend more money on the frontline services that strengthen local communities and boost local economic growth.
It is estimated that these schemes could produce a total of around £35 million of lifetime savings on energy bills, while improving energy security and creating good jobs.
As well as solar panels on public buildings, the grants will pay to install batteries for community buildings in areas including Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, so they can store renewable energy and use it later. The grants will also fund EV chargers in Greater Manchester, to make it easier for drivers to benefit from cheaper to power electric vehicles.
Great British Energy is already cutting energy bills for public services, with solar panels already installed on 11 schools as part of plans to roll out the panels on around 200 schools and 200 hospitals in England.
The government’s clean energy superpower mission will protect billpayers, create jobs and bring greater energy security through delivering clean power by 2030. Great British Energy will accelerate this by developing, investing and building clean energy projects across the UK.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Your local sports hall, library and community centre could have their energy bills cut by Great British Energy, the government’s publicly-owned clean energy company.
Our plans will mean more money can be spent on the services that make working people better off and help strengthen the ties that bind us in our communities.
This is what Great British Energy is all about – taking back control to deliver lower bills for good.
Great British Energy CEO Dan McGrail said:
Today’s support for new clean power projects in every region in England shows our mission in action – providing a lasting positive impact for the country by creating new jobs, lower bills, and a cleaner future.
It’s important that communities feel the benefits of the energy transition and that we demonstrate the very real rewards it can bring.
Earlier this year, all Mayoral Strategic Authorities were invited to submit expressions of interest for funding renewable energy projects that can be delivered in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will use the money to support a rooftop solar project to support care homes and leisure centres, cutting around £4.6 million on lifetime energy bills, while Greater Manchester will also roll out rooftop solar on libraries, fire stations, police stations and sports centres, leading to estimated savings of over £2.1million on lifetime bills. Projects in York and North Yorkshire are estimated to bring around £4 million in lifetime bill savings, they include solar panels to help power an Edwardian swimming pool in York and leisure centres in Whitby, Ripon and Thirsk.
It follows the government’s announcement in March to award £180 million of funding for schools and hospitals to install rooftop solar, marking the first major project for Great British Energy – a company owned by the British people, for the British people. This could see millions invested back into frontline services, targeting deprived areas, with lifetime bill savings for schools and the NHS sites of up to £400 million over the next 30 years.
Notes to editors
Successful Mayoral schemes:
The figures below were estimated by DESNZ in collaboration with MSAs, based on a combination of project-level data and DESNZ standard assumptions. It should be noted these are initial estimates that will be refined as projects become operational and actual data is collected.
| MSA | Technology | Project Type | Grant Funding Requested (£) | Total expected project cost (£) | Estimated Net Yearly Average Energy Bill Savings (£ undiscounted, 2025 prices) | Estimated Net Lifetime Energy Bill Savings (£ undiscounted, 2025 prices) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Lincolnshire | Solar | Leisure centres and fire stations | £607,845 | £627,845 | TBC | TBC |
| South Yorkshire | Solar | Schools, outdoor covered market and library | £572,025 | £615,397 | £51,938 | £1,558,131 |
| Greater London Authority | Solar | Schools | £607,838 | £674,220 | £30,376 | £911,280 |
| Hull and East Yorkshire | Solar | Service buildings and car parks | £700,000 | £1,842,879 | £89,822 | £2,694,647 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | Solar | Police headquarters, car park and border canopies | £700,000 | £774,226 | £51,630 | £1,548,886 |
| Greater Manchester | Solar, Battery and EV | Libraries, fire stations, police stations and sports centres | £695,900 | £1,301,800 | £71,846 | £2,155,384 |
| North-East | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £749,946 | £46,060 | £1,381,806 |
| York and North Yorkshire | Solar | Leisure centres, libraries, schools, transport sites | £700,000 | £1,219,948 | £134,898 | £4,046,936 |
| West Yorkshire | Solar and Battery | Police stations, Arrium plant nursery, primary school, sports centres and Lotherton Hall Estate | £700,000 | £1,154,838 | £275,669 | £8,270,082 |
| Tees Valley Combined Authority | Solar | Solar on roof of depot and public buildings | £444,738 | £444,738 | £34,664 | £1,039,911 |
| Liverpool City Region | Solar | Leisure centres and care homes | £700,000 | £760,319 | £152,402 | £4,572,054 |
| East Midlands | Solar | Former colliery | £700,000 | £1,900,000 | £113,340 | £3,400,200 |
| West Midlands | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £820,000 | £58,474 | £1,754,207 |
| West of England | Solar | Schools | £700,000 | £1,657,522 | £54,123 | £1,623,697 |
| Total | £9,228,346 | £14,543,678 | £1,165,241 | £34,957,222 |
