UK, French and German leaders hold a call on Gaza after Macron backs a Palestinian state
The surprise announcement exposes differences among the European allies, known as the E3, over how to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis and end the Israel-Hamas war .
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UK households living in certain areas to get up to £250 a year off energy bills
UK households living near pylons are set to get £250 a year off their energy bills as part of new government plans. Those affected would get £2,500 off their electricity bills over a 10 year period. This means electricity bills will be cut for thousands living near new pylons, as Labour moves forward with plans to "get Britain building and put communities at the heart of a cleaner, more affordable, homegrown energy system." The plans could see eligible households receiving a £125 discount every six months as the government launches a consultation tomorrow, August 8 on proposals included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. READ MORE: DWP confirms full list of 22 medical conditions that make you eligible for ESA worth up to £200 a week READ MORE: Full list of people eligible for free bus pass after changes to DWP PIP rules It comes as new plans for smart meters will give consumers clearer rights and better compensation, according to the government. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'As we build the infrastructure we need to deliver homegrown, affordable energy, communities must be given a stake. 'That is why we are teaming up with communities hosting new pylons to ensure they receive direct, tangible benefits. 'We are on the side of those who want Britain to get back to what it does best: building for the future, driving innovation and putting communities first.' Around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade, according to the Government, who released new planning reforms earlier this year. Rural communities across Great Britain could benefit most from the bill discounts as the government speeds up its efforts to build more renewable energy sources. This comes alongside confirmation millions of households will be supported to take control of their energy usage and bring down their bills under new plans to transform the how smart meter work. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE New obligations will be placed on energy suppliers to improve every stage of the smart meter process, under plans being put forward on Friday. The reforms, set to be introduced next year, include new and improved compensation for long installation and repair wait times. The proposals set out by Ofgem include requirements to cut waiting times for installation appointments and fix meters that have stopped working in smart mode within 90 days - or provide consumers with automatic compensation. A new guide to smart metering will support families to gain a better understanding of their rights, by clearly setting out in one place everything households can expect from suppliers when they get a smart meter. Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said it was 'right that communities get some payback for pylons – with this scheme following initiatives started by the last Conservative government'. But he added that the public should 'be in no doubt' that more communities would see pylons built nearby 'as a consequence of Labour's net zero by 2050 zealotry'. Mr Bowie said the Government was now having to 'scramble to try and build the infrastructure needed to support their mad green projects' and urged more investment in nuclear power rather than solar. Charlotte Friel, Director of Retail Pricing and Systems at Ofgem said: 'Millions of consumers rely on their smart meter every day for accurate billing, cheaper tariffs, automatic meter readings and real-time data to help keep track of spending. 'But we know many customers that want a smart meter wait too long to get one installed or face delays on repairs when it stops working – this needs to change. 'We're working closely with suppliers to drive improvement, and have seen more than 600,000 faulty smart meters reconnected since last July after we opened compliance engagement. "This is only the beginning – with automatic compensation, faster fixes, and improved installation standards well on the way, getting a smart meter will be quicker and easier than ever. "These new rules are about setting clear expectations of suppliers, incentivising them to boost smart meter standards, and protecting consumers from poor service if things go wrong.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Households living near new pylons could get £250 a year off bills for a decade
Families living near new pylons would get a £125 discount on their energy bills every six months for a decade under Government plans to get electricity infrastructure built. New transmission cables and pylons are needed across Britain to upgrade ageing electricity networks, connect up new wind and solar farms, nuclear power plants and large scale battery storage, and reinforce the grid to cope with the planned rise in electric heat pumps and car charging in homes. The Government says around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade. But building new pylons and cables through the British countryside has faced a backlash, with homeowners and campaigners concerned about the visual impact and disruption to local areas and beauty spots. The Government has pledged to deliver clean energy by 2030, as part of efforts to boost the economy, cut climate emissions and reduce Britain's exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. It hopes cash benefits to local people will reduce opposition and planning delays to the infrastructure needed to deliver the clean energy plans. The launch of the consultation comes alongside reforms which place new obligations on energy companies to improve smart meters, and improving connectivity across Scotland and northern England including rolling out 4G services to allow more households to benefit from getting meters installed. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is launching a consultation into proposals included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to provide payments to households affected by the new developments. Households within 500 metres (a third of a mile) of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure could receive a discount of up to £250 via their electricity bill every year for 10 years, totalling £2,500. The discounts, which would be assigned to the home, and applied to the occupant, could be provided in instalments of £125 every six months. Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'As we build the infrastructure we need to deliver homegrown, affordable energy, communities must be given a stake. 'That is why we are teaming up with communities hosting new pylons to ensure they receive direct, tangible benefits. 'We are on the side of those who want Britain to get back to what it does best: building for the future, driving innovation and putting communities first.' Labour also accused opposition parties of backing higher energy bills by demanding cables be buried underground rather than attached to pylons. Describing this as 'ideological opposition' to pylons, the party pointed to analysis from the National Energy System Operator suggesting it would cost billions more and could raise household bills by up to £850. A Labour spokesperson said: 'Ideological opposition to vital energy infrastructure projects holds back our economy and pushes bills higher. Yet that is what Reform, the Tories, Lib Dems and Greens are doing when they oppose the infrastructure needed to get energy into people's homes and businesses.' Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said it was 'right that communities get some payback for pylons – with this scheme following initiatives started by the last Conservative government'. But he added that the public should 'be in no doubt' that more communities would see pylons built nearby 'as a consequence of Labour's net zero by 2050 zealotry'. Mr Bowie said the Government was now having to 'scramble to try and build the infrastructure needed to support their mad green projects' and urged more investment in nuclear power rather than solar. Proposals to improve smart meters from Ofgem, which are set to be introduced next year, include requirements to cut times for installation appointments and to fix meters that have stopped working in smart mode within 90 days – or provide consumers with automatic compensation. Officials said the measures would help households get lower bills through better management of their energy use and access to more flexible tariffs, such as paying less to use power off-peak or benefiting from free electricity offers when excess power is available on the grid. Charlotte Friel, director of retail pricing and systems at Ofgem, said: 'Millions of consumers rely on their smart meter every day for accurate billing, cheaper tariffs, automatic meter readings and real-time data to help keep track of spending. 'But we know many customers that want a smart meter wait too long to get one installed or face delays on repairs when it stops working – this needs to change. 'These new rules are about setting clear expectations of suppliers, incentivising them to boost smart meter standards, and protecting consumers from poor service if things go wrong.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Netanyahu Said Israel Wanted to Take Military Control of Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel intended to take control of all of Gaza. He described the move as an effort to 'assure our security' and liberate both Israelis and Palestinians 'from the awful terror of Hamas.' The plan went against the advice of Israel's military, which has pushed for a cease-fire and argued that full-fledged occupation of Gaza would require up to five years of sustained combat. Its chief of staff has pushed back against the potential plan, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Netanyahu has said that the military would carry out any decision ordered by the country's security cabinet. However, he suggested today that Israel was not interested in maintaining permanent control over Gaza. 'We want to hand it over to Arab forces,' he said. Some analysts have argued that Netanyahu's threats were an attempt to compel Hamas to offer concessions in cease-fire negotiations, which are at an impasse. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
