• More NHS trusts across England will benefit from additional Great British Energy funding for solar panels to cut their energy bills
• Successful initial scheme expanded to 34 NHS trusts covering around 70 new sites, which will see an estimated combined lifetime energy bill savings of up to £65 million to be reinvested in frontline services
• In total, around 260 NHS sites will benefit from Great British Energy’s solar roll-out, alongside around 250 schools, and around 15 military sites

Communities across England will benefit from more money for their local NHS services, as Great British Energy’s solar rollout continues to cut energy bills for public services.  

As part of an expanded scheme to fund solar panels for NHS sites, military sites and schools, 34 NHS trusts across England, including 10 already in programme, will receive funding from Great British Energy and government for new solar panels. 

These NHS trusts will install the panels at around 70 more sites, from hospitals to mental health facilities. In total, the scheme will see around 260 NHS sites benefitting.  

Estimated energy bill savings over the panels’ lifetime could reach up to £65 million for the trusts from this additional spend. 

The scheme covers more than a third of NHS trusts in England, helping them to power health services with clean, homegrown energy, while giving them the potential to sell leftover energy back to the grid.  

NHS services have been hit with rocketing energy bills in recent years, costing taxpayers millions of pounds, and eating into healthcare budgets. This has been driven by the UK’s dependency on global fossil fuel markets over which government has no control. The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of around £1.34 billion, that has almost doubled since 2019.  

Thanks to this partnership between the NHS and Great British Energy, millions could now be invested back into frontline services - as the rollout continues on a scheme that is estimated to see total lifetime energy bill savings for the NHS of up to £325 million - with the average NHS site estimated to save around £35,000 a year in energy bills. 

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:  
"Great British Energy is helping your local hospital save money on its bills, to be reinvested into the frontline, from nurses to medical equipment. 

Across the country, solar panels are going up on rooftops or carpark canopies, to power operating theatres with clean, homegrown power.  

This is our clean energy superpower mission in action, protecting our public services with lower bills and energy security."

Great British Energy’s CEO, Dan McGrail said:  
"Great British Energy has been set up as a publicly owned energy company to help deliver the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.   

Our ongoing solar rollout delivers tangible benefits to the people that need it most in our hospitals and schools. Our continuing work is ensuring money is being put back into frontline care and education, providing cheap, clean and secure power."

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: GB Energy