Parliamentary Questions w/c 27 February – Auto Republish

Question

Justin Madders, Labour (Ellesmere Port and Neston)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of hydrogen village trials.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16th January 2023 to Question 117986(opens in a new tab).

Question

Alun Cairns, Conservative (Vale of Glamorgan)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he will publish his Department’s biomass strategy.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government has committed to publishing the Biomass Strategy in Q2 2023.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to accelerate home insulation measures ahead of winter 2023-24.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures and intends to launch the ECO+ scheme around spring 2023 running until March 2026 to provide further support for households to reduce their energy bills.

In 2022 a zero-rate of VAT was introduced on energy efficiency measures, and the Government launched a digitally led service ‘find ways to save energy in your home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency(opens in a new tab)). The site provides guidance helping consumers make their homes greener and cheaper to run, supported by a call centre for assistance.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes had energy efficiency measures installed in (a) 2010 and (b) 2022.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Department estimates that 114,200 homes had measures installed through Government funded schemes in 2022. All measures under the following schemes are included in this total: Energy Company Obligation, Green Homes Grant Vouchers, Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery, Homes Upgrade Grant, Renewable Heat Incentive, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. This total will include a small amount of double counting of households that received measures through multiple schemes.

Prior to 2013, the Government support for energy efficiency measures was provided via the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Community Energy Saving Programme. More information can be found here(opens in a new tab) and here(opens in a new tab).

Question

Ben Everitt, Conservative (Milton Keynes North)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government plans to publish the final design and scope of the ECO+ scheme; and when that scheme will be implemented.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government is analysing responses to the ECO+ consultation and currently plans to publish a Government response in spring 2023. The Government plans to launch the scheme in late spring 2023, once legislation is made.

Question

Drew Hendry, Scottish National Party (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has had discussions with Liquified Petroleum Gas providers on securing deliveries to rural communities during periods of inclement weather.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The supply of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) remains sufficient to meet customer demand across the UK, including those in rural communities. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero works with industry to monitor the LPG supply position and proactively take steps to mitigate any risks that may affect distribution to customers and essential services.

Members of the sector trade association, Liquid Gas UK, signed up to a Customer Charter, which includes a Cold Weather Priority Delivery scheme to ensure that the elderly or chronically ill will not run out of energy. Further information can be found at: https://www.liquidgasuk.org/domestic/liquid-gas-uk-customer-charter-switch-lpg-supplier(opens in a new tab).

Question

Martyn Day, Scottish National Party (Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Liquid Gas UK and (b) producers on the level of supply of liquid petroleum gas supplied through Mossmorran to Scottish consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Department officials have been working closely with Liquid Gas UK and the main supply companies to monitor the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply position in Scotland and encourage all parties in the supply chain to take steps to mitigate any risks to the security of supply.

From these discussions, I am pleased to understand the supply position remains stable. Mossmoran continues to be a reliable supply point for LPG, which will ensure households and businesses in Scotland continue to have sufficient supplies of LPG this winter.

Question

Martyn Day, Scottish National Party (Linlithgow and East Falkirk)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of supply through the Mossmorran plant on energy (a) costs and (b) security for consumers of liquid petroleum gas in Scotland.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Department officials work closely with industry to monitor Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply. The operators inform us that in January of this year, Mossmoran supplied similar volumes of LPG for inland sales compared to January 2022.

Supply market costs are normally based on a traded price index for LPG. Commercial reporting suggests that, unusually, the wholesale price per therm for LPG has been lower than that for natural gas since September 2021, which has caused some restructuring of the market.

The UK’s supply of LPG remains robust, and is met by refinery production, gas processing plants and by imported cargoes.

Question

Rupa Huq, Independent (Ealing Central and Acton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department are taking to support the growth of community energy schemes.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government is enabling local areas to tackle net zero goals through UK-wide growth funding schemes. The Government encourages community energy groups to work closely with their local authority to support the development of community energy projects within these schemes. In addition, Ofgem supports community energy projects and welcomes applications from community interest groups, co-operative societies, and community benefit societies to the Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.

Question

Rachael Maskell, Labour (York Central)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will ask local authorities to identify opportunities for developing (a) onshore wind, (b) solar energy, (c) ground source heating and (d) other sustainable energy sources in their area.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Local authorities have a lot of flexibility and discretion in how they take action, as they have very varied local opportunities, needs, and circumstances.

The Net Zero Strategy sets out the UK’s commitment to fund Local Net Zero Hubs across England which support local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.

Question

Rachael Maskell, Labour (York Central)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to assess opportunities for community energy generation.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government’s approach to community energy is set out in the Net Zero Strategy. This includes re-establishing the Community Energy Contact Group to strengthen Government’s engagement with the sector and discuss opportunities for community energy.

Question

Duncan Baker, Conservative (North Norfolk)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to bring forward a revised energy strategy.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

From the Ten Point Plan and Energy White Paper in 2020 through the Net Zero Strategy in 2021 and in last year’s British Energy Security Strategy, the Government has outlined its energy objectives. As my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Autumn Statement, the Government will soon publish more detail about its approach to delivering energy security, consistent with achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Question

Darren Jones, Labour (Bristol North West)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme on creating and maintaining professional standards in the energy microgeneration sector.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is an independent certification scheme which creates robust standards against which installers and products are certified by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited Certification Bodies. Those standards are also designed to align with international and European Union standards where appropriate. MCS standards are updated and improved over time, and amendments to these standards are discussed with the Department before being implemented.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendations in the Independent Review of Net Zero, published on 13 January 2023, on the provisions in the Energy Bill.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government is carefully considering the recommendations proposed within the Independent Review of Net Zero, including recommendations that may relate to the Energy Security Bill.

Question

Richard Thomson, Scottish National Party (Gordon)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to announce the outcome of the Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: Electrolytic Allocation Round 2022.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The first electrolytic hydrogen allocation round will offer support from the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (capital funding) and the Hydrogen Production Business Model (revenue support). Applications closed in October 2022 and the Government hopes to announce a project shortlist in Q1 this year. Following due diligence and negotiations, the Government will award contracts to successful projects later this year.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the role of local government in contributing towards meeting the Government’s net zero targets.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government recognises that local authorities can, and do, play an essential role in driving local climate action, with significant influence in many of the national priorities across energy, housing, and transport, which will be needed to achieve net zero.

The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government’s commitments to enable local areas to deliver net zero.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he has taken to ensure the net zero strategy aligns with the air quality strategy.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

In the period leading up to the publication of the Net Zero Strategy, there were numerous cross-Government discussions, including on air quality, reflecting the contribution that every sector of the UK economy needs to make to climate change mitigation.

As set out in the Strategy, the Government will pursue options that leave the environment in a better state for the next generation by improving biodiversity, air quality, water quality, natural capital, and resilience to climate change where appropriate.

Air quality policy is led by DEFRA. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero continues to engage regularly with DEFRA on a range of issues relating to improving air quality.

Question

Alex Sobel, Labour (Leeds North West)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government’s revised air quality strategy will be published.

Answer

Rebecca Pow, Conservative (Taunton Deane)

The department plans to publish a revised National Air Quality Strategy later this year.

Question

Kerry McCarthy, Labour (Bristol East)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress the Green Jobs Delivery Group has made.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Green Jobs Delivery Group has met three times. It’s the central forum for continued action on green jobs and skills and is a key component in responding to the skills challenge and transition.

As a result of the current economic context, the group is looking at emerging workforce issues relating to the delivery of net zero and the UK’s environment goals and has formed three ask and finish groups on Power and Networks, Nature Skills, and Local capacity.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he has taken to facilitate meetings with the net zero local forum.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government recognises that local authorities can, and do, play an essential role in driving local climate action, with significant influence in many of the national priorities across energy, housing, and transport, which will be needed to achieve net zero. The Net Zero Strategy sets out our commitments to enable local areas to deliver net zero.

The Local Net Zero Forum has met three times at official level and held a ministerial level meeting on 9^th February. There are no plans to make the Forum a statutory body.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make the local net zero forum a statutory body.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government recognises that local authorities can, and do, play an essential role in driving local climate action, with significant influence in many of the national priorities across energy, housing, and transport, which will be needed to achieve net zero. The Net Zero Strategy sets out our commitments to enable local areas to deliver net zero.

The Local Net Zero Forum has met three times at official level and held a ministerial level meeting on 9^th February. There are no plans to make the Forum a statutory body.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing statutory provisions on local area energy planning.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government recognises the potential merits of local energy plans, however it is vital that any approach endorsed by government is considered carefully to ensure it is deliverable, cost-effective and aligned with wider policy.

The Government is considering the role of local energy plans, working closely with Ofgem as part of its ongoing governance review into local energy institutions and with other key stakeholders including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and UK Research and Innovation.

Question

Alexander Stafford, Conservative (Rother Valley)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to ringfence funding for local authorities to help manage climate-related incidents in summer 2023.

Answer

Trudy Harrison, Conservative (Copeland)

The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion or 9.4% in cash terms on 2022/23.

The majority of the funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities.

To assess the amount of funding required for local government ahead of fiscal events, we estimate the additional resource required to fund the expenditure needs of local authorities. Government uses a range of forecasts and indices to estimate demographic and unit cost pressures facing local government. We ensure the assumptions underlying our modelling are robust by holding in-depth financial conversations with local authorities and regular conversations with treasurer societies.

Question

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat (Bath)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help encourage local authorities to adopt a climate action plan.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Net Zero Strategy sets out our commitments to enable local areas to deliver net zero. This includes funding five Local Net Zero Hubs in England which support local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment; and funding work to develop business models to increase private sector investment in local net zero.

Question

Robin Millar, Conservative (Aberconwy)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increases in electricity standing charges on (a) charities and (b) businesses in Aberconwy constituency; and whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the level of Government support for energy costs in the the context of recent changes in market pricing.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Ofgem has launched a wider review into the non-domestic market and has recently issued a Request-for-Information (RFI) to gather evidence on suppliers’ deemed rates charges and EBRS scheme application.

The Government has been clear that current levels of support were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow non-domestic customers to adapt. The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme has a cap set at £5.5 billion based on estimated volumes.

Question

Lord Taylor of Warwick, Non-affiliated (Life peer)

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the rise of the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG); and whether they will meet these costs by increasing the energy price levy.

Answer

Lord Callanan, Conservative (Life peer)

The Energy Price Guarantee will continue to support households from April 2023 by limiting the amount suppliers can charge per unit of energy used. Whilst the level of the EPG remains below the Ofgem price cap, the EPG will continue to save households money from their energy bills compared to the undiscounted prices that consumers would pay under Ofgem’s Price Cap. This new approach will cost the taxpayer significantly less than planned and will help to ensure fiscal sustainability, whilst targeting support to those most in need.

There are currently no plans to increase the Energy Profits Levy, announced in May 2022.

Question

Alan Whitehead, Labour (Southampton, Test)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Energy Price Guarantee for financial year 2022-2023.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

On 3rd February, the Department published expenditure figures for the Energy Price Guarantee. As of 29th December 2022, GB and NI EPG expenditure totalled £6.97 billion.

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s current forecasted expenditure of the EPG for the financial year 2022/23, as published in November 2022, is £24.8 billion. The OBR will be publishing updated figures on 15th March, with updated forecasts expected to be lower than published in the Autumn Statement.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to address regional disparities in trends in the level of regional energy rates.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Energy distribution charges, which are incurred by suppliers and passed through to consumers, vary regionally to reflect the costs of maintaining and upgrading the distribution network in a specific area, and the number of consumers between whom those costs are spread.

The price cap ensures customers pay a fair price for their energy based on the underlying costs of supplying it. How suppliers set the standing charge and unit rate is a commercial decision.

Question

Rupa Huq, Independent (Ealing Central and Acton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that energy standing charges do not increase.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply and decisions about standing charges are a commercial matter for energy suppliers subject to the maximum permitted under the price cap. One component of the standing charge cost relates to transmission and distribution charges, which have increased due to the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) levy. The Government, together with Ofgem, is looking at reforms to ensure the energy market is more resilient.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rise in the Energy Price Guarantee in April 2023 on levels of fuel poverty.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

As announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement, from 1 April the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) ‘target bill’ in GB will be £3000 per year, up from £2500. HM Treasury analysis that accompanied the Autumn Statement can be found here, with analysis on page 13 showing that, both as a percentage of net income and in cash terms, the EPG and Cost of Living payments provide greater support to those households at the bottom end of the distribution than at the top:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118360/Impact_on_households_-_AS22.pdf(opens in a new tab).

A Public Sector Equality Duty analysis of the policy has been carried out in the usual way.

Question

Angela Crawley, Scottish National Party (Lanark and Hamilton East)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to alleviate the impacts of the rising cost of fuel on low income households.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government has set up a number of Energy Affordability schemes to support vulnerable people with the cost of their energy bills during the cold weather. The Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical household in Great Britain £900 this Winter. The Energy Bills Support Scheme provided households with £400 non-repayable Government discount paid in instalments to UK households from October 2022 to March 2023. Households using alternative fuels will be also entitled to a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment.

This is in addition to the cost-of-living support package announced in May 2022 of

• £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means tested benefits;
• £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for pensioners, households across the UK to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment;
• £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.

Question

Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour (Gower)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he decided to delay the opening of applications to the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding to 27 February 2023.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Owing to the complexities of the schemes delivery, the Government made the decision to extend the pilot phase of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. On 23 January, the Government announced that the scheme will be open to all eligible applicants by 27 February.

Question

Vicky Foxcroft, Labour (Lewisham, Deptford)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what energy support will be available for heat network customers when the existing schemes come to an end in March 2023.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Domestic heat network customers currently receive support on their heating and hot water bills via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Government is developing options to ensure these domestic consumers benefit from support in line with other domestic users after April 2023. Further information on a successor scheme will be available soon.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate’s contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, over what time period the Government and Ofgem are investigating poor practice concerning prepayment meters.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Ofgem has outlined the timescales for its Market Compliance Review on prepayment meters and remote switching. As per the letter on 15 February 2023, Ofgem published an update on the scope and timelines on 21 February 2023.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate’s contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, what the results were of the Government’s investigation into decision-making on the process for obtaining warrants to forcibly install prepayment meters.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Ofgem wrote to suppliers asking them to pause the installation of pre-payment meters under warrant until they had completed a review of how this work is carried out and managed. Ofgem will also be looking at the rules around mandatory moves to prepayment meters, when a court warrant can be applied for, and the steps that first need to be taken.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142820 on Energy: Meters, when this data will be published; and where it will be published.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Following a request from my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, all suppliers have provided data on the number of warrants sought and executed in 2022. The Government and Ofgem will verify this data and will publish it in due course.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households experienced forced installations of prepayment meters by (a) warrant and (b) remote switching in 2022; and if he will publish a breakdown of those figures by constituency.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Newport East on 9th November 2022 to Question 75843(opens in a new tab) for Ofgem’s most recent data. Smart meter data includes households that have requested switching to prepayment mode. This data is not available at constituency level.

Question

Julian Knight, Independent (Solihull)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect vulnerable consumers from forcible connection to pre-payment energy meters.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem to ask that it does more to ensure suppliers protect vulnerable consumers. This includes revisiting the approach to enforcing supplier compliance. He has also written to suppliers insisting they revise their practices and improve their actions to support vulnerable households, to make sure prepayment meters being installed is a genuine last resort.

All suppliers have agreed to cease forced installation of prepayment meters and remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode until 31 March 2023.

Question

Margaret Greenwood, Labour (Wirral West)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will extend the deadline to claim for this year’s Warm Home Discount scheme beyond 28 February 2023.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The end of the scheme year, as set in regulation, is 31 March. As participating energy suppliers have 30 days to provide the rebates, the deadline for making a claim this scheme year is 28 February to ensure that almost all rebates are paid before the end of the scheme year.

This deadline was communicated in the over three and a half million letters that the Government sent to eligible and potentially eligible households between November and mid-January.

Question

Alan Whitehead, Labour (Southampton, Test)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to the public purse of the warm home discount was for (a) 2021-2022 and (b) 2022-2023.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Warm Home Discount is a supplier obligation scheme, and participating energy suppliers are responsible for providing rebates and funding Industry Initiatives.

In 2021/22, the only costs to Government were administrative costs associated with running the scheme. Participating energy suppliers provided £359 million of support to households.

The final figure for the amount of support delivered under the scheme in 2022/23 will be available in Ofgem’s annual report later in the year.

Question

Dan Carden, Labour (Liverpool, Walton)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate’s contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, when he plans to publish details of the proposed compensation scheme.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government will not publish details of a proposed compensation scheme. Specific matters of redress will be taken forward by Ofgem as the independent regulator. On 21 February Ofgem set out the next steps in its prepayment meter review. As part of this, Ofgem has told suppliers to act now to check that PPMs have been installed appropriately, and if rules have been broken, offer customers a reversal of installations and compensation payments where appropriate. Ofgem can also issue fines if necessary to address non-compliance.

Question

Caroline Lucas, Green Party (Brighton, Pavilion)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what mechanisms are in place to monitor whether the operation of the Warm Home Discount high-energy-cost score formula is operating as intended for people in receipt of a qualifying benefit; what processes are in place to allow applicants to challenge decisions and present evidence of a decision being based on incorrect data on energy costs; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government developed and tested the energy cost score process and the data matching for the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales prior to the first year of the reformed scheme.

The Government will conduct an evaluation of the reformed scheme with a view to monitoring the results and informing the future of the scheme.

Where a household believes the information held by the Government is inaccurate, the residents may call the Warm Home Discount helpline by 28 February and ask for alternative evidence to be used, in the form of an Energy Performance Certificate or Land Registry data.

Question

Emma Hardy, Labour (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number of people claiming Employment Support Allowance who are no longer eligible for the Warm Homes Discount following the changes to eligibility in 2022; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changing the criteria on people who are no longer eligible.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

As households previously applied through their suppliers, who set their own application processes and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year, the Government has not been able to assess how many households in receipt of Employment Support Allowance are no longer eligible.

The Government has expanded the scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to low-income and vulnerable households. The Government published impact assessments alongside the consultation and the final policy, which compared the option for reforming the scheme in England and Wales to continuing the previous scheme. These can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022(opens in a new tab).

Question

Margaret Greenwood, Labour (Wirral West)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of households in Wirral West constituency that (a) are eligible to receive payments under the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2023 and (b) were eligible to receive those payments in 2022.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government does not hold constituency-level data on eligibility for Warm Home Discount rebates in previous years or this scheme year. More precise figures on eligibility for 2022/23 will only be available after the scheme year has ended after March.

Question

Judith Cummins, Labour (Bradford South)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reasons the eligibility criteria for the Warm Homes Discount were altered to not include people living in houses with an Energy Performance Certificate score of D or below.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales does not exclude households based on their property’s energy efficiency rating. As outlined in the consultation and Government Response on reforming the scheme, eligibility is not based on energy efficiency ratings as Energy Performance Certificates are not available for every domestic property.

Households in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and who live in a property with a high energy cost score may be eligible to receive a rebate. The Government calculates energy cost scores for properties using certain characteristics taken from Valuation Office Agency data: the type, age, and floor area.

In Scotland, energy suppliers can set their own criteria in addition to the minimum eligibility criteria as set in the Regulations, subject to approval by Ofgem.

Question

Judith Cummins, Labour (Bradford South)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of altering eligibility requirements so that all recipients of Universal Credit can access the Warm Homes Discount.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The Government has reformed the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales from 2022/23 to focus the support to households at greater risk of fuel poverty and to provide most rebates automatically. Households both in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and who live in a property with a high energy cost score may be eligible to receive a rebate.

Extending the scheme to all recipients of Universal Credit would decrease the proportion of recipients in fuel poverty and increase the cost of the scheme significantly.

In Scotland, energy suppliers can set their own criteria in addition to the minimum eligibility criteria as set in the Regulations, subject to approval by Ofgem.

Question

Richard Thomson, Scottish National Party (Gordon)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to commence a withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty in the event that the modernisation package negotiated in 2022 is not approved; and if he will make a statement.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The UK has been a strong advocate for ECT modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.

Question

Fleur Anderson, Labour (Putney)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of proposals for a coordinated withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The UK has been a strong advocate for Energy Charter Treaty modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.

Question

Caroline Lucas, Green Party (Brighton, Pavilion)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of a potential joint EU exit from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

The UK has been a strong advocate for Energy Charter Treaty modernisation.

At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.

Question

Darren Jones, Labour (Bristol North West)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of tasking Ofgem to consider the issue of higher costs that customers incur when paying by methods other than direct debit.

Answer

Graham Stuart, Conservative (Beverley and Holderness)

Ofgem rules currently state that the difference in price between payment methods for energy must reflect the cost to the supplier of that method. On 21 February, Ofgem published a Call for Evidence on a package of work focused on prepayment meters, including looking at all energy payment methods to see whether there is a case for levelling them. Responses are requested by 7 March.