Ministers unveil first cheaper bill pylon projects

The Government has unveiled the first wave of new pylons and grid infrastructure located in areas where households will be eligible for cheaper electricity bills.

The Energy Department (Desnz) has revealed 43 projects expected to be in the scope of its “bills discount scheme”.

The project will see those living within 500 metres of the new or upgraded overhead transmission lines and other eligible infrastructure start to receive money off their bills in the first half of next year, officials said.

Desnz says they could ultimately get £2500 off their electricity bills over ten years through the discounts.

The first wave of projects include National Grid transmission infrastructure from Bramford to Twinstead in East Anglia, the North London Reinforcement project and the Emmock substation in North East Scotland.

A Government impact assessment earlier this year found more than 100,000 households could benefit from the scheme in the coming decades as further projects follow.

It comes as Westminster pushes ahead with upgrades to the country’s outdated electricity grid, paving the way for new sources of clean electricity generation to connect to the network, strengthening energy security, reducing bills and tackling climate change.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “It is a moment of national renewal – upgrading what was built largely in the 1960s for the modern age, and it is our route to bringing down electricity bills for households across the country.”

Also among the first set of projects are transmission infrastructure from North Humber to High Marnham in the Midlands, and from Pentir to Trawsfynydd in North Wales, as well as the Coalburn, Mark Hill, Branxton and Sanquhar substations across Scotland.

Officials said most households that qualify for the scheme will receive the discount automatically on their electricity bill every six months via their energy supplier, although some may need to apply, such as those on commercial meters.

Ministers say they will be directly contacted by their energy supplier or Ofgem with further information in the first half of 2027.

These discounts build on the so-called “community funds”, where energy developers have provided financial packages to communities hosting new infrastructure since last year.

The Government is coming under growing pressure to tackle the soaring cost of living and reduce the country’s exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets.

Ministers recently announced a VAT cut on electricity bills, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham is also facing a dilemma over whether to back new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

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