Ministers reportedly preparing to cut heat pump grants to help fund defence spending
The Guardian reported, citing sources, that the energy department will cut hundreds of millions of pounds from England and Wales's boiler upgrade scheme to help pay for higher defence spending. Breitbart relayed the report with a critical take on net zero policy.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 1Ministers are preparing to cut the money available for heat pump subsidies as part of a search for savings to fund higher defence spending, the Guardian reported on 12 October, citing sources. The GuardianLC “Ministers are preparing to slash the amount of money available to subsidise heat pumps as they look for ways to fund higher defence spending, sources have told the Guardian.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has been tasked with finding more than £2bn in savings from her department's budget under a defence investment plan drawn up by the previous government. The GuardianLC “Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, has been tasked with finding more than £2bn in savings from her budget to help pay for defence investment under a plan drawn up by the previous government.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1According to the Guardian's sources, part of the saving will come from the boiler upgrade scheme for England and Wales, which gives grants of up to £9,000. The scheme would not be abolished, but hundreds of millions of pounds would be cut from its £2.7bn budget. The GuardianLC “The programme will not be abolished altogether but sources say hundreds of millions of pounds will be cut from its £2.7bn budget.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Left · 1The scheme offers a £7,500 basic grant, and some off-grid properties can claim up to £9,000. It has subsidised nearly 80,000 heat pumps since 2022. The Guardian says Treasury officials have long seen it as a subsidy used mainly by middle-class households, while supporters say more than 40% of the money has gone to households earning under £52,000 a year. The GuardianLC “The scheme, which offers £7,500 as a basic grant towards an electric heat pump, has subsidised nearly 80,000 heat pumps since it began in 2022.”“The scheme’s supporters say that more than 40% of the money has gone to households with an annual income of below £52,000.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The overall £2bn capital cut was agreed by former energy secretary Ed Miliband when then prime minister Keir Starmer sought to fund a £15bn rise in defence spending over four years. The chancellor, John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary in June, must find a further £4.7bn in savings over four years. The GuardianLC “Miliband agreed that the energy department would cut its capital budget by £2bn to help pay for the Dip.”“He now has to find an additional £4.7bn in savings over a four-year period beyond what departments have already agreed.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Bloomberg reported this month that the energy department's cuts would also hit carbon capture and storage and green hydrogen schemes. Energy minister Martin McCluskey said the department was having to make "some difficult decisions" because of the defence investment plan. The GuardianLC “Bloomberg reported this month that as part of the cuts to the energy department, ministers were planning to reduce spending on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and green hydrogen schemes.”“we are having to make some difficult decisions because of what happened as a result of the defence investment plan.” Read at The Guardian ↗
Left · 1A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson did not confirm specific cuts. The spokesperson said defence-plan savings are "a small part" of a budget that saw a significant uplift at the spending review, and that the government will set out its funding plans this autumn. Energy officials say the cuts are small next to the growth in the department's capital budget. The GuardianLC ““Savings for the defence investment plan (Dip) are a small part of [the department’s] overall budget, which saw a significant uplift at spending review.”“Energy officials say the cuts pale in comparison with the overall growth in the energy department’s capital budget” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1Critics quoted by the Guardian oppose the cut. Madeleine Gabriel of Nesta called it a "kick in the teeth" for the industry, and Octopus Energy chief executive Greg Jackson said cutting now would be "brutally damaging". Dale Vince, an energy entrepreneur and Labour donor, has argued that cleaner heat does not yet mean cheaper heat. The GuardianLC ““It’s a kick in the teeth for the businesses and tradespeople who’ve put in time and money to build the industry.””“Cutting the engine now would be brutally damaging.”““Cleaner heat does not yet mean cheaper heat.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Right · 1Breitbart News, on 13 October, relayed the Guardian's report. It described the heat pump scheme as a "green policy pet project" and argued that heat pumps do not make heating much cheaper. It said any shift of money from net zero to the military would be a major policy change. BreitbartR “According to a report by British newspaper of the left The Guardian, a considerable share of this will come from the department’s £2.7 billion-a-year budget ($3.5bn)”“The alleged plan to take money out of the government’s beloved Net Zero drive to hand to the military represents a massive policy shift in Westminster” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 1Breitbart's figures differ from the Guardian's. It gives the grant as £7,000 to £9,500 and says most of the roughly 80,000 installations went to higher-earning households. The Guardian gives £7,500 to £9,000 and notes supporters' claim that over 40% of funds went to households earning under £52,000. BreitbartR “the scheme pays out between £7,000 and £9,500 ($9-12k) per household”“the majority are to what the government considers higher-earning households” Read at Breitbart ↗ Mixed · 2No cut has been officially announced. The reports rest on unnamed sources, and the government says it will set out its plans this autumn. The GuardianLC ““We will set out how we will fund essential investment in our national security this autumn.”” Read at The Guardian ↗ BreitbartR “But now, it is claimed Net Zero may face the chop to pay for arms.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Original exclusive reporting on a planned cut to the boiler upgrade scheme, with quotes from industry critics and a government response alongside.
- Emphasis
- Damage to the nascent heat pump industry, high gas prices and the climate commitment, plus the wider energy department cuts to carbon capture and green hydrogen.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives the Treasury's view of the scheme as a subsidy for the middle class only briefly, and offers no direct defence of the cut beyond department statements.
- Charged language
- “slash”“kick in the teeth”“brutally damaging”
- For example
-
“Critics say cutting the scheme would damage the nascent British heat pump industry and further undermine the government’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis.” — The Guardian
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Secondhand summary of the Guardian report, treating the cut as a welcome sign that net zero spending may be sacrificed for defence, and as evidence of past neglect of the military.
- Emphasis
- The scheme as a subsidy for better-off households, doubts about heat pump value for money and running costs, and long-running government rhetoric on defence set against cuts to the armed forces.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the department's response, the industry and charity criticism, and the Guardian's point that supporters say over 40% of funds went to households earning under £52,000.
- Charged language
- “green policy pet project”“Net Zero”“questionable value-for-money”“cooked up”
- For example
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“Heat pumps, despite the considerable expense of installation and retrofitting homes for them, questionable value-for-money, and sound pollution for near-neighbours” — Breitbart
What every side reports
- The energy department has been asked to find more than £2bn in savings to help pay for defence spending.
- Part of the saving is reported to come from the £2.7bn boiler upgrade scheme, which has subsidised about 80,000 heat pumps.
- The £2bn cut was agreed under the previous government of Keir Starmer.
- The reports rest on the Guardian's unnamed sources, and no cut has been officially announced.
Where accounts differ
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Who has benefited from the scheme
- Left
- Supporters say more than 40% of the money went to households earning under £52,000, but the Guardian also says much has gone to better-off households.
- Right
- Breitbart says most of the roughly 80,000 installations went to higher-earning households and calls £52,000 a low threshold for affluence.
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Grant levels
- Left
- £7,500 basic grant, up to £9,000 for some off-grid properties.
- Right
- £7,000 to £9,500 per household.
-
Value of heat pumps
- Left
- Industry voices say the grant brings installation costs level with a gas boiler and that heat pumps are the energy future.
- Right
- Breitbart says they have questionable value for money and do not make heating much cheaper.
Miatta Fahnbulleh person
As energy secretary, Fahnbulleh has been tasked with finding more than £2bn in savings from her budget. The Guardian does not quote her directly. The department says defence-plan savings are a small part of its budget.
“Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, has been tasked with finding more than £2bn in savings from her budget” — The Guardian
Heat pump subsidies topic
Supporters say the subsidies built a domestic industry growing over 25% a year. Treasury officials see them as mainly benefiting middle-class households, and Breitbart calls them poor value.
“the subsidies have helped to build a fast-growing domestic heat pump industry, which is expanding by more than 25% a year.” — The Guardian
UK defence spending topic
The defence investment plan requires a £15bn rise over four years, and the chancellor must find a further £4.7bn in savings. The Guardian and Breitbart attribute the energy cuts to this.
“as the then prime minister, Keir Starmer, looked for ways to fund a £15bn rise in defence spending over four years.” — The Guardian
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Guardian broke the story and framed it as a threat to the heat pump industry and climate goals.
“Critics say cutting the scheme would damage the nascent British heat pump industry” — The Guardian
The Guardian
North America1 outlet
Breitbart framed it as UK net zero policy giving way to defence needs, and as a criticism of government energy policy.
“decades of government energy policy mis-management leaving the nation vulnerable to global energy price shocks” — Breitbart
Breitbart
Left1 article
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Ministers preparing to slash heat pump subsidies to fund defence spending
Critical Exclusive reporting on planned cuts, giving prominent space to industry and charity critics of the cut and a brief department response.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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UK to Slash 'Net Zero' Spending to Boost Defence: Report
Dismissive Relays the Guardian report as a sign net zero spending is being cut for defence, mocking heat pumps and past government priorities.
- 12 Oct 06:00 First The GuardianLC Ministers preparing to slash heat pump subsidies to fund defence spending
- 13 Oct 09:29 +27h 28m BreitbartR UK to Slash 'Net Zero' Spending to Boost Defence: Report
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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