Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, and Havant to see £1 million granted to second homes in cost of living relief from chancellor Rishi Sunak

Second home owners are set to receive more than £120 million from the Government in energy discounts, as part of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s new cost of living support package.

Under the plans every home in England, Scotland and Wales will receive an automatic £400 discount on their energy bills from October.

It will go to every home regardless of need – including second homes, with those who own more than two standing to benefit multiple times over.

Out of Portsmouth’s 93,673 homes, a total of 1,587 are second homes – which are set to gain £634,800 from the scheme.

Across the surrounding boroughs of Fareham, Gosport, and Havant – with more than 143,000 homes – a total of 817 second homes will be given £326,000.

There are more than 301,000 official second homes across Great Britain, according to figures gathered by NationalWorld from the respective nations’ governments.

If each receives a £400 energy discount, the total bill to the Government will come to £120.5 million.

Government documents published when the Chancellor first announced a £200 energy rebate stated it would be too complex to deliver the cash via a non-universal route.

It read: ‘Delivering a scheme with means-tested eligibility criteria would add to the administrative cost and complexity and would contradict the aim of a scheme designed to support all domestic electricity customers who will be experiencing the energy price shock.’