Rishi Sunak to tackle energy bill crisis with cheap loans for heat pumps

Rishi Sunak has given the go-ahead for cheap taxpayer-backed loans to help homeowners install heat pumps, solar panels and other energy efficiency measures to combat rising fuel bills.

The chancellor has told the government’s new infrastructure bank to use some of its £22 billion of investment funds to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

The move is expected to help high street banks offer loans at knockdown interest rates for energy efficiency projects that will pay for themselves by reducing utility bills.