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To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of trainees that received heat pump training as part of skills bootcamps; and which qualifications have been supported.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of trainees that received heat pump training as part of skills bootcamps; and which qualifications have been supported.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of heat pump installations that were notified to competent person schemes in the last 12 months.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of heat pump installations that were notified to competent person schemes in the last 12 months.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many heat pump installations were notified to competent person schemes in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many heat pump installations were notified to competent person schemes in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many businesses are registered with competent person schemes to install (a) air and (b) ground source heat pumps.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many businesses are registered with competent person schemes to install (a) air and (b) ground source heat pumps.
The Minister and her colleagues have repeatedly said today that they care about cutting bills for families, but a recent report by the Resolution Foundation found that the onshore wind ban has hit the poorest households’ income six times harder than that of the richest. Such households have been forced to pay additional electricity bills as a result of the total failure to build onshore wind in England. How on earth can Ministers continue to sit there and claim that they stand up for working families when they continue to block the cheapest form of clean energy there is, which could cut bills for families who desperately need help? Before she leaves office, will the Secretary of State pledge to put this right so that onshore wind can be built again and customers can save money on their future bills?
The Minister and her colleagues have repeatedly said today that they care about cutting bills for families, but a recent report by the Resolution Foundation found that the onshore wind ban has hit the poorest households’ income six times harder than that of the richest. Such households have been forced to pay additional electricity bills as a result of the total failure to build onshore wind in England. How on earth can Ministers continue to sit there and claim that they stand up for working families when they continue to block the cheapest form of clean energy there is, which could cut bills for families who desperately need help? Before she leaves office, will the Secretary of State pledge to put this right so that onshore wind can be built again and customers can save money on their future bills?
That is absolutely not the case. We stand here incredibly proudly as Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and we have made a commitment. We are doing more than has ever been done on renewables and offshore wind, and we have done more to help people with the affordability of their bills.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish guidance on the installation of solar technology on the (a) central Government and (b) wider public sector estate.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to publish guidance on the installation of solar technology on the (a) central Government and (b) wider public sector estate.
The Cabinet Office plans to issue high-level guidance to central government, specifically covering the central government estate and published for an internal-to-government audience, in the coming months. Further guidance, for the wider public sector, may follow.
The Office of Government Property has published the Net Zero Estate Playbook on gov.uk, providing guidance to support government property organisations to decarbonise their estates. This includes recommendations of how to reduce operational energy use, such as through improving renewable energy generation where appropriate through multiple channels, including solar technology.
Government is committed to driving forward the renewable energy agenda, both on its own estate and beyond, and the UK has halved its emissions ahead of every other major economy.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the report on multi-region loose volume coupling by transmission system operators following the March 2022 Specialised Committee on Energy meeting will be made publicly available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the report on multi-region loose volume coupling by transmission system operators following the March 2022 Specialised Committee on Energy meeting will be made publicly available.
I can confirm that the report will be made publicly available in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to publish an insulation products strategy.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to publish an insulation products strategy.
The Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, set out our strategic approach to the decarbonisation of buildings, including the role insulation will play to increase thermal comfort and reducing energy demand.
The government engages regularly with insulation manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders, to understand challenges and opportunities in the insulation products supply chain, with the aim of facilitating a more resilient supply chain.
What recent fiscal steps he has taken to help reduce regional economic inequalities.
What recent fiscal steps he has taken to help reduce regional economic inequalities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of recoupling the GB and EU day-ahead electricity markets without recoupling the intraday markets on the competitiveness of wholesale electricity markets.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of recoupling the GB and EU day-ahead electricity markets without recoupling the intraday markets on the competitiveness of wholesale electricity markets.
In 2021, HMG consulted on current arrangements for trading electricity on power exchanges in the GB wholesale electricity market and outlined proposals to support efficient cross-border trading. That consultation focused on day-ahead trading but also sought views on the intraday timeframe.
HMG’s consultation response outlined the intention to legislate to achieve a single GB clearing price in the day-ahead timeframe, subject to engagement with the UK-EU Specialised Committee on Energy, industry and stakeholders to ensure HMG is well placed to make a final decision on progressing legislation. HMG confirmed development of efficient arrangements in other timeframes should remain under review.
I am sure the Secretary of State does not want a repeat on her watch of the failure of allocation round 5, when her Department managed to crash the offshore wind market.
However, the industry is already warning that the parameters set for floating wind in the next round, AR6, could mean that only one sub-gigawatt project succeeds in getting contract for difference support: way off the Government’s recently trumpeted target of 5 GW of floating offshore by 2030. What steps is she taking to ensure that we do not see another failure and lose the global race for this emerging technology?
I am sure the Secretary of State does not want a repeat on her watch of the failure of allocation round 5, when her Department managed to crash the offshore wind market.
However, the industry is already warning that the parameters set for floating wind in the next round, AR6, could mean that only one sub-gigawatt project succeeds in getting contract for difference support: way off the Government’s recently trumpeted target of 5 GW of floating offshore by 2030. What steps is she taking to ensure that we do not see another failure and lose the global race for this emerging technology?
If people want to ensure that we win the global race for renewable technology, they should, frankly, vote Conservative. Under the Conservatives, world-leading mechanisms have been introduced. The only country that has built more offshore wind capacity than the UK is China. We have an enormous and very successful track record, and continue to work with industry to ensure that AR6 will be a success.
I am not sure that answer gives much reassurance to industry or this House. The truth is that uprating our port infrastructure is critical for deploying floating offshore wind and for reaching a zero carbon power system, but Government support is so inadequate that they are funding only two ports, dropping viable projects on the way, when, according to the floating offshore wind taskforce, to reach floating offshore wind ambitions we need infrastructure upgraded in at least 11 ports. Is this not another example of the Government failing to invest for the future and failing to back British industry?
I am not sure that answer gives much reassurance to industry or this House. The truth is that uprating our port infrastructure is critical for deploying floating offshore wind and for reaching a zero carbon power system, but Government support is so inadequate that they are funding only two ports, dropping viable projects on the way, when, according to the floating offshore wind taskforce, to reach floating offshore wind ambitions we need infrastructure upgraded in at least 11 ports. Is this not another example of the Government failing to invest for the future and failing to back British industry?
The only failure on renewable energy is the record Labour left when they were in power, when 7% of our electricity was generated from renewables whereas now that figure is 50%. On ports, not only have we got our world-leading freeport agenda but we have put forward projects such as FLOWMIS—the floating offshore wind manufacturing investment scheme—which is also helping to build our port infrastructure.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many rural households were in fuel poverty in (a) each region of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland as of 22 March 2024.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many rural households were in fuel poverty in (a) each region of England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland as of 22 March 2024.
DESNZ has responsibility for the measurement of fuel poverty in England. The latest estimates of fuel poverty in England are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics
Table 5 of the detailed tables shows the number of fuel poor households by rurality in 2023 and Table 6 by region. Due to sample size constraints, it is not possible to provide suitable estimates for rural households in fuel poverty by individual region.
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and different metrics of fuel poverty are used in the Devolved Administrations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of applications her Department has received from heat suppliers via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; and how many individual heat networks are covered by those applications.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of applications her Department has received from heat suppliers via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme; and how many individual heat networks are covered by those applications.
The Department has received around 14,400 Energy Bills Discount Scheme applications for heat networks. There is no centralised list of heat networks across the UK, or how many domestic customers these networks serve. The most reliable data we have access to is taken from the Heat Network Metering and Billing Regulations, which estimates that there are 8,900 heat networks serving residential customers in the UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many qualifying heat supplier certificates have been issued via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many qualifying heat supplier certificates have been issued via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
As of 28 March 2024, 12,743 heat network applications for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme have been approved (and therefore certificates issued).
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of heat suppliers has her Department taken enforcement action against under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme as of 25 March 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of heat suppliers has her Department taken enforcement action against under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme as of 25 March 2023.
The Office of Product Safety and Standards acts on behalf of the Secretary of State to enforce the scheme. They have taken action against 657 heat network cases.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make it her policy to accept retrospective support applications from heat suppliers via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme after 31 March 2024.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make it her policy to accept retrospective support applications from heat suppliers via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme after 31 March 2024.
For eligible heat networks, the deadline to apply for the scheme was 31 March 2024. The closure of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme for heat networks has been communicated through numerous campaigns, online, and through targeted outreach to suppliers and networks. We also wrote to Members of Parliament who have qualifying heat networks in their constituency, asking them to reach out to the heat network suppliers to inform them of their requirement to apply for the scheme.
However, the Department is allowing a two-week grace period following the 31 March 2024 deadline for any newly eligible heat networks to submit an application.
Any applications that submitted their application before the deadline, and were eligible on 1 April 2023, will receive support backdated to that date.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help ensure all eligible heat network consumers receive financial support via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help ensure all eligible heat network consumers receive financial support via the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.
The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) regulations placed a legal duty on heat network suppliers with at least one domestic customer to apply for EBDS Heat Network support, and to pass through any benefit received to the end consumer.
The Department has conducted extensive engagement to maximise applications from eligible heat networks, to try and reach as many customers as possible. This included extensive stakeholder communications campaigns and reaching out to all known heat networks on government databases. We also wrote to Members of Parliament who have qualifying heat networks in their constituency, asking them to reach out to the heat network suppliers to inform them of their requirement to apply for the scheme.
We have also streamlined the application process to make it easier for heat networks to apply and worked closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards to initiate enforcement action against known heat networks who have failed to apply.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to consumers was of energy network improvements by Distribution Network Operators in each of the last five years.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to consumers was of energy network improvements by Distribution Network Operators in each of the last five years.
Ofgem is responsible for regulating networks through a price control process that enables the investment needed to deliver a secure, resilient, net zero network in an efficient way, protecting consumers from excessive costs. Costs for network investment are recovered through electricity bills over a period of 45 years. The previous price control, covering the period between 2015 and 2023, enabled over £24bn of Distribution Network Operator expenditure. The cost impact on consumer bills remained broadly flat for this period.
What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on tackling the health impacts of fuel poverty.
What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on tackling the health impacts of fuel poverty.
The Government’s 2021 fuel poverty strategy recognised that warm homes can help to reduce health inequalities and pressure on the NHS. That is a key reason why we are delivering a package of cost support worth £3,700 per household on average from 2022 to 2025 and investing heavily in fuel efficiency.