At the last election I made a commitment to you to bring investment into West Cumbria to upgrade cold and draughty homes and lower energy bills.
I’ve reported back already on the direct financial support we’ve put in place – taking £150 per year of costs off everyone’s bills and including thousands more west Cumbrians on low incomes in the £150 winter Warm Homes Discount. I appreciate that costs are still too high as a result of global crises outside of our control, but I hope this support is making it just a little easier to get by.
We’re also looking to break the link between UK energy costs and global gas prices, which is causing significant pressure on bills. And we continue to invest in clean domestic renewable and nuclear energy, which is the only way to bring energy prices down in the long term, despite what political opponents try to say.
But, quietly in the background, Cumberland Council – funded by government and in partnership with local housing providers – has also been delivering the long-term investment in home retrofitting and upgrades that will substantially and permanently lower energy bills by reducing the amount of energy we use.
The results are already significant. In the last 18 months, nearly 500 homes across north and west Cumbria have had £9 million worth of renewable power and energy efficiency measures installed through the ECO4 Flex scheme, ranging from loft and roof insulation to boiler upgrades, solar panels and heat pumps.
Average household energy bill savings from these upgrades are a whopping £1,460 per year.
Another £1 million is being spent in 2025-2026 through the government’s Warm Homes Local Grant, with nearly 200 homes in Workington, Distington and Lowca getting upgrades which will knock an average of £432 per year off their bills.
That is real money back in people’s pockets and warmer, healthier homes for families and older people who need help.
The Warm Homes Local Grant will be scaled up and rolled out more widely this year, with millions of pounds available for home upgrades in Flimby, Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Egremont and Frizington – areas where we have the coldest homes and highest levels of fuel poverty.
This matters because cold homes are not just about bills. They affect children’s health, older people’s wellbeing, respiratory illness and the pressure on our NHS. A warmer home can mean fewer worries, fewer damp bedrooms and a better quality of life.
There is much more to come. The Government’s new £15 billion Warm Homes Plan is the biggest investment of its kind, aimed at cutting fuel poverty, upgrading even more homes and helping more families reduce bills for good. We’ll be laying out more detail on that soon.
After years when home insulation rates collapsed and too many households were left exposed to soaring energy prices, this is a serious long-term plan.
My job is to make sure West Cumbria gets its fair share.
Josh MacAlister MP 