There are three pillars of the programme. These include new protections for renters to make landlords responsible to ensure that private or social homes are “safe, warm and affordable”.

The government says by updating protections for renters, and supporting landlords to make the upgrades, an ” estimated half a million families will be lifted out of fuel poverty by the end of the decade”.

Other pillars of the programme include direct support for low income families and an offer for everyone.

The programme will provide low-income households free of charge packages for upgrades, depending on what technologies are most suitable for their homes- backed by £5bn of public investment.

In addition, it means every new home will come with solar panels by default.

The plan also aims to triple the number of homes with solar panels on their rooftops by 2030.

It will also make it easier for anyone who wants to get a heat pump by offering a £7,500 universal grant for heat pumps and the first ever offer for ‘air-to-air heat pumps’ that can be used to cool homes in the summer.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says: “A warm home shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be a basic guarantee for every family in Britain.”

“Today’s plan marks a turning point. It will help to slash energy costs and lift up to a million people out of fuel poverty.”

“This is a government bearing down on the cost-of-living crisis. By driving bills down for good and upgrading millions of homes, we’re giving people the security and the fair shot they need to get on in life.”

Also commenting, Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey says: “Homes are the foundations of our lives but high energy bills and rents force many of us to make heart wrenching choices between heating and eating, while millions of us are living with shocking levels of mould and damp.”

“That’s why it’s so important, both for renters and the climate, that the government is raising the basic insulation and heating standards for rented homes.”

“We look forward to working with the department on giving renters who are eligible for support to improve their home the assurance they need to apply for it.”

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) chief executive Ben Beadle adds: “The announcement of a clear roadmap for the reform of PRS MEES is welcome. It gives landlords and those living in the private rented sector some certainty and allows businesses to plan for the future.”

“Improving the energy efficiency of our residential housing stock is a significant challenge and we have been pleased to work constructively with the government to find solutions that ensure its ambitions can be delivered.”

UK Finance chief executive David Postings states: “Upgrading the UK’s housing stock is essential to meeting our net zero goals, and boosting consumer demand is critical to unlocking private finance at scale.”

“The new ‘Warm Homes Plan’ is a welcome step forward, offering a package of support to help homeowners meet retrofit costs. The financial services sector will work with government, alongside other industries, to accelerate the growth of the green home finance market and help ensure households across the country can share in the benefits of the net zero transition.”