Local authorities in the Leeds City Region have agreed to work together to deliver energy-saving home improvements on more than 12,000 homes under the Green Deal scheme.

The £100 million initiative is expected to help people cut their energy bills and carbon emissions as well as create more than 600 new jobs and support up to 24,000 direct and supply chain jobs in the next 25 years.

The Green Deal is a Government initiative which helps homeowners and businesses pay for energy efficient improvements such as insulation and new heating systems through savings on their energy bills.

Councillor Mehboob Khan, Leeds City Region lead on the Green Deal said: “We are taking a dynamic approach to tackling fuel poverty, reducing health inequalities and creating jobs. Our scheme will be the largest in the country and our residents will be able to get a much better deal due to the economies of scale we are going to achieve by working collectively. This is an effective way for businesses and residents to pay for energy efficient improvements such as insulation and new heating systems.”

The region is one of the first areas to agree a so-called ‘City Deal’ with the government to pilot its flagship energy efficiency financing scheme, which offers property owners loans to cover the up-front costs of installing measures.