Rishi Sunak ‘pays for electricity grid upgrade to heat his private pool’

It is believed that Rishi paid Sunak to upgrade his local electricity grid so that it can accommodate a private heated swimming pool at his home.

It comes as MPs raised concerns that soaring energy bills have led to the closure or reduction in hours of an estimated 350 public swimming pools.

The construction of the Prime Minister’s pool at his home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, required additional equipment to increase the capacity of the National Grid, according to sources The guard.

Mr Sunak will have to pay tens of thousands of pounds for the modernization work linking the pool at the listed Georgian mansion in his constituency, the newspaper reported.

It is believed he was personally paid for the extra capacity and there is no indication of any special treatment. Companies can pay to upgrade their local power grid when constructing new buildings.

The Prime Minister’s mansion in Richmond, which was reportedly bought for £1.5million, is one of several houses owed to Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy, who also have property in the US.

A major extension to the grounds of his Yorkshire mansion – complete with a swimming pool, hot tub, tennis courts and gym – received planning permission in 2021.

But the attempt to bring it into line with the surrounding buildings was not entirely welcomed by Hambleton District Council. Councilor John Noone said: “It doesn’t look to me like a farm building but rather a fairly large bungalow.”

It comes as MPs on the all-party culture selection committee called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to help public pools with next week’s budget energy bills – and warned that 350 pools had closed or reduced hours.

Senior Tory Damian Green MP, acting committee chairman, said: “Ahead of next week’s budget, it is now time for the Government to recognize the unique needs of swimming pools and set out how they can get the support they need to survive.

He added: “Without financial help, many swimming pools are at risk of closure, which will inevitably have a negative impact on the health and well-being of the nation.”

No 10 declined to comment on the swimming pool work at the Prime Minister’s Constituency House.