British Gas and Octopus Energy customers this close to pylons set for £2,500 | Personal Finance | Finance

Customers of major energy firms including British Gas, Octopus Energy, E.On and EDF are set to get £2,500 off their energy bills over 10 years if they have a pylon built this close to their home.

Families who live within 500 metres of the site of a new pylon will be handed £125 every six months for 10 years, under new plans set out by government to get more electricity infrastructure built.

The government says 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.

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.

It is hoped the £2,500 sweetener will break opposition in local communities and get more pylons and cables built.

Households within 500 metres (one third of a mile) of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure, including pylons or electricity substations, would receive a discount of up to £250 via their electricity bill every year for 10 years, totalling £2,500, unde the plans.

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.”

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”.