Hospitals, military bases and a prison across the UK are set to benefit from a £74 million investment in clean energy upgrades, aimed at slashing energy bills and
freeing up money for frontline services.
A total of 82 NHS Trusts, eight military sites and one prison will receive funding to install energy-saving technologies such as solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps and efficient lighting. The upgrades are designed to reduce long-term running costs while improving the resilience of vital public buildings.
The government estimates the measures will save more than 190 NHS sites almost £30 million a year on their energy bills. Military sites in England and Scotland are also expected to generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in annual savings, easing pressure on defence budgets.
Several hospitals have already been allocated funding. Lincoln County Hospital will receive more than £1.2 million to install solar panels, while The Harbour, a mental health hospital in Blackpool, will benefit from £590,000 for new battery storage technology to better manage its energy use.
Military infrastructure will also see significant improvements. RAF stations including RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Waddington and RAF Marham are set to receive upgrades that will help monitor and manage energy consumption, making sites cheaper and more efficient to operate.
The scheme also includes funding for HMP Channings Wood in Devon, which will receive £495,000 for solar panels and nearly £250,000 for electrical and plumbing improvements to reduce heat loss and improve efficiency.
Of the total funding, £9 million will be delivered in partnership with Great British Energy (GBE) to support the installation of new solar panels and battery systems. This builds on GBE’s £255 million investment last year in publicly owned solar power for hospitals, schools and military sites.
By cutting energy costs, the programme is expected to allow more public money to be redirected into patient care, mental health services and defence capability, while supporting the UK’s wider transition to cleaner, more secure energy.
Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey said: “More money will go straight to frontline services as hospitals, prisons and military sites benefit from cheaper bills and cutting-edge green technology.
This is our clean power mission in action – cutting bills, investing in public services and providing energy security for our country”.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “With lower bills for hospitals, better value for money, and a cleaner, more efficient NHS, everybody wins.
Every penny of these savings will be redirected straight back into frontline care and delivering an NHS patients, staff and the whole country can be proud of again”.
This investment will help us build an NHS fit for the future.
Dan McGrail, CEO of Great British Energy said: “Communities are at the heart of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. Clean local energy projects enable communities to directly benefit from cleaner, more secure power.
This funding will help to create an immediate reduction in energy bills so that millions of pounds can be invested back into vital services for the British public”. Photo by hpgruesen, Wikimedia commons.