Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

The Government has implemented the statutory open data scheme Fuel Finder, with all UK petrol filling stations now required to report their prices for petrol and diesel within 30 minutes of a change. Increasing price transparency will increase pressure on fuel retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering their prices.

Fuel Finder data is made available to data services such as mapping software and price comparison apps to enable consumers to compare petrol and diesel prices more easily and to shop around for the cheapest fuel.

The Government has implemented the statutory open data scheme Fuel Finder, with all UK forecourts now required to report their latest fuel prices, helping to improve transparency and increase competitive pressure on fuel retailers. The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, which provide the legal framework for the scheme, came into force in early 2026. These measures apply nationally, including in West Dorset.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have the power to take enforcement action for non-compliance, including imposing financial penalties.

The CMA also has statutory information gathering powers to monitor the road fuel market and advise the Government if further intervention is required.

The Government has proposed a fully cost-reflective charging regime for its energy infrastructure planning application fees, in order to place this function on a sustainable footing for the future as application volumes increase. The Government is currently assessing the responses to the public consultation that ran from 16 December 2025 to 1 February 2026, which included specific questions on cost impacts.

This assessment will pay particular regard to the evidence provided by respondents on network operator costs and impacts on bills.

Ofgem was introduced as the heat network regulator in January 2026. While many leaseholders can benefit from the new consumer protections, including protection against poor service standards, we are aware that there are still some challenges where heat charges are ‘bundled’ with service charges and subject to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Ofgem have issued guidance on how suppliers should consider interactions between housing legislation and heat network regulation and we will continue to work with MHCLG to explore options to address these challenges.

The policy on encouraging rather than mandating developers to implement Soil Resources and Management Plans is set out in National Policy Statement EN-3 which was updated in 2026 and has been subject to public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. The National Policy Statements set clear requirements that the mitigation hierarchy must be applied to environmental impacts. The requirement to produce a Soil Resources and Management Plan is frequently included in individual planning conditions enforced by local authorities. The effectiveness of planning policies and guidance are monitored to ensure mitigation and reporting requirements are still appropriate.

Government recognises that Network Operators play an important public service role in developing and maintaining an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity distribution and transmission – this includes securing the necessary permissions to install and maintain electric lines. These costs, including any costs associated with applying for a Necessary Wayleave, are not borne directly by Network Operators, but rather passed onto consumer energy bills through Ofgem regulated network charges.

The total value of non-contractual severance payments across the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) was £22,500 in 2023, £nil in 2024 and £60,000 in 2025.

In January, we introduced Ofgem as the market regulator for heat networks. Heat network operators and suppliers are now required to demonstrate compliance with Ofgem’s Authorisation Conditions, including those on billing transparency and fair pricing.

Ofgem will be collecting data in the first year of regulation which will then be used to inform pricing benchmarks in 2027.

We are currently consulting on mandating minimum technical standards, including proposals to extend heat network metering to enable accurate and transparent billing to more consumers.

Consumer Led Flexibility (CLF) can play a key role in lowering household and business electricity bills. CLF, including that facilitated through the uptake of smart tariffs, gives those who choose to participate greater control over their energy usage, and the opportunity to save money.

The Clean Flexibility Roadmap includes a chapter on CLF with 42 actions to support it which are being delivered. It also set out on pages 8-9 typical electricity bill savings for those participating in it based on prices current at the time.

We are aware that some existing heat networks are not delivering to the standard they should be. We have and will continue to take steps to protect consumers: We have already taken action by introducing Ofgem as the market regulator who have the powers to tackle poor service standards. In the first year of regulation, they will be collecting performance data and consulting on Guaranteed Standards of Performance.

Heat network consumers who suffer a service outage can also seek redress through the Energy Ombudsman.

DESNZ is also consulting on mandatory technical standards for heat networks, that include proposals to ensure new and existing heat networks are designed, built, and operated to a standard, that will deliver good outcomes for consumers.

The trial will launch this winter and we anticipate that it will run until Spring 2028. Measures will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows to enable the government to make enduring changes based on the results of the trial.

The Autumn 2024 Budget allocated £500 million to the Warm Homes Local Grant to be delivered from 2025-28 by eligible local authorities. The WH:LG used an expression of interest model to allocate funding, with all eligible local authorities in England who expressed an interest allocated funding - details of these allocations are available on gov.uk.

Local authorities within the West Midlands and Greater Manchester Combined Authorities received an allocation of this funding as part of the Warm Homes and Public Sector Decarbonisation Devolution Programme

£5 billion of the total £15 billion funding for the Warm Homes Plan is allocated to low-income households, initially delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the WH:LG. From 2027/28 onwards we intend to integrate these into a single low-income capital scheme shifting towards area-based delivery. We will say more about the evolution of low-income schemes by Spring 2026.

Our Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs) are stimulating private investment in hydrogen projects across the UK, including in Wales. Two of the successful HAR1 projects are in Wales – the HyBont project in Bridgend and West Wales Hydrogen in Milford Haven. The latter recently announced its Final Investment Decision, which I was pleased to mark alongside the Secretary of State for Wales. This project alone represents an investment of over £50 million and is forecast to support over 60 jobs during construction and its operational phase. It will also strengthen domestic supply chains, by choosing Sheffield-based ITM Power to supply its electrolysers.

Industrial clusters, such as in South Wales, can support hydrogen production and use by co-locating supply with demand, which helps reduce infrastructure costs, transport requirements, and system risks during market scaleup.

Across the South Wales industrial cluster region, two hydrogen production projects, West Wales Hydrogen in Milford Haven and HyBont in Bridgend, have been awarded funding in the first Hydrogen Allocation Round. The West Wales project recently announced its Final Investment Decision. Together, they will supply local industry, supporting decarbonisation, create skilled jobs and encourage regional economic growth across the South Wales industrial cluster.

Through our Clean Power 2030 mission we are accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown electricity to shield end-users from the volatility of fossil fuel prices and to deliver reliable, affordable energy to every part of the UK economy.

We are already taking action to expand the British industry supercharger from April to reduce costs for the most energy-intensive businesses, and a significant proportion of businesses are on fixed-term contracts that shield them from market volatility for the contract duration. However, we recognise that at the point of contracting, businesses are exposed to international fossil fuel markets, and clearly, for both businesses and consumers, much will depend on the length of this crisis.

Just as we are looking across Government at the situation that households face, the Government is absolutely focused on the impact of the crisis on business and industry, and we will not hesitate to act.

Government is not prescriptive regarding the location of support provision for hydrogen infrastructure, and will assess transport & storage project applications on individual merit against criteria reflecting strategic objectives (e.g. deliverability, decarbonisation potential, and value for money), before contract negotiations with highest-scoring projects. Hydrogen Transport & Storage Business Models support recipients will have had to demonstrate ability to deliver value for money infrastructure, and will have agreed scale & cost of deliverables with Government. As long as projects meet eligibility criteria for the regional hydrogen network competition, they will be able to apply regardless of their location within Great Britain.

The Government intends to strengthen consumer protections in the domestic heating‑oil market, informed by the Competition and Markets Authority’s ongoing examination of the sector, which it announced on 20 March. The CMA also announced on 11 March that it is moving quickly to get to the bottom of troubling reports from heating oil customers about cancelled orders and sudden price increases. In parallel, the Government has made available £53M to support low-income families who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices.

The UK’s standing as a current global leader in hydrogen is reflected in our comprehensive investible policy framework and the number of hydrogen businesses that are based in the UK and developing world-leading technologies for export.

Government is delivering real projects to kickstart the UK hydrogen economy, with contract signings for successful projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation round, with £2.3bn of revenue funding confirmed and a further £500m confirmed for a hydrogen transport and storage network.

The 10 Year Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan (2025) announced new investment to turbocharge growth in the sector and our renewed Hydrogen Strategy, which we plan to publish soon, will set out how we intend to work together with industry to continue to transform ambition into action.

In 2017, the Government explored potential opportunities to integrate carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the coal-to-chemicals sector in Xinjiang into China’s emissions trading scheme.

Officials have been unable to locate any information sought by the noble Lord that UK funding was provided to Xinjiang during this period, nor any information indicating that representations were received from Shell regarding this potential funding or its Enhanced Oil Recovery partnership with CNPC in Xinjiang at that time.

The Government supports Ofgem in ensuring through its regulation that grid investment benefits communities across Great Britain. In the next electricity distribution price control, ED3 (2028–2033), Ofgem is requiring distribution network operators to develop long term, integrated network development plans informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs). This will help ensure network investment appraisal better reflects regional economic development and decarbonisation potential, while continuing to protect consumers’ interests.

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By upgrading our air defence radars, this government will unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind capacity through projects in Scotland, East Anglia and North East England, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs, supporting both national and energy security.

The Government’s contract is with BAE Systems. Work will take place at BAE Systems’ facilities in Cowes, sustaining high quality engineering jobs in the Isle of Wight. Further commercial aspects of BAE Systems’ bid are commercial matters for the supplier.

These new radars will be installed from 2029.

By upgrading our air defence radars, this government will unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind capacity through projects in Scotland, East Anglia and North East England, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs, supporting both national and energy security.

The Government’s contract is with BAE Systems. Work will take place at BAE Systems’ facilities in Cowes, sustaining high quality engineering jobs in the Isle of Wight. Further commercial aspects of BAE Systems’ bid are commercial matters for the supplier.

These new radars will be installed from 2029.

By upgrading our air defence radars, this government will unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind capacity through projects in Scotland, East Anglia and North East England, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs, supporting both national and energy security.

The Government’s contract is with BAE Systems. Work will take place at BAE Systems’ facilities in Cowes, sustaining high quality engineering jobs in the Isle of Wight. Further commercial aspects of BAE Systems’ bid are commercial matters for the supplier.

These new radars will be installed from 2029.

By upgrading our air defence radars, this government will unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind capacity through projects in Scotland, East Anglia and North East England, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs, supporting both national and energy security.

The Government’s contract is with BAE Systems. Work will take place at BAE Systems’ facilities in Cowes, sustaining high quality engineering jobs in the Isle of Wight. Further commercial aspects of BAE Systems’ bid are commercial matters for the supplier.

These new radars will be installed from 2029.

Government recognises that the expiry of Renewables Obligation support from April 2027 could affect the commercial viability of generators in a sector which supports hundreds of jobs. As set out in the Methane Action Plan, Government is exploring the implementation of a long-term methane capture scheme with appropriate transitional arrangements.

DESNZ and Defra are giving careful consideration to the potential impact of proposals on workforce capacity and undertaking a rigorous value for money assessment. No final decisions have we been made and we will consult on the proposals later this year.

Historically, heat network performance, including outage duration and frequency has been unregulated in Great Britain, and as such the Department does not hold this data.

As the newly appointed market regulator for heat networks, Ofgem now have powers to collect performance data, and they will be consulting on introducing Guaranteed Standards of Performance.

The Heat Trust operate a voluntary scheme for heat networks, and participating heat networks are required to submit data to demonstrate their compliance with the scheme’s service standards.

The most recent report is available on their website.

HyLine Cymru applied for development expenditure funding under Ofgem's RIIO2 reopener mechanism. Government subsequently discussed the strategic value of this project with Ofgem who decided not to fund Hyline Cymru due to its lack of large-scale geological storage, which will be needed for the development of a regional hydrogen network. Decisions regarding funding provided under RIIO2 sit with Ofgem and therefore Government does not intend to revisit this decision.

The National Policy Statements require applicants to assess and mitigate for environmental impacts of their proposals across the lifecycle of the proposed development, including decommissioning. No specific assessment has been made on mandating the return of sites to their previous use. This requirement is usually included in a planning condition enforced by local authorities.

Developers are required to set out arrangements for decommissioning in their planning applications, as set out in National Policy Statement EN-3. The Department has no current plans to publish separate guidance.

The Government has signed a £95m contract with BAE Systems to deliver a technologically advanced radar that secures the coexistence of air defence and offshore wind, supporting both national and energy security.

These upgrades to the UK’s air defence radars will help unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs.

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to fund this contract, with financial support from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, as part of a mission-led government. Funding was allocated at the Spending Review 2025 and has not been diverted from wider RAF or Air Defence budgets.

The Government has signed a £95m contract with BAE Systems to deliver a technologically advanced radar that secures the coexistence of air defence and offshore wind, supporting both national and energy security.

These upgrades to the UK’s air defence radars will help unlock up to 10GW of offshore wind, £20bn in private investment and thousands of skilled jobs.

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to fund this contract, with financial support from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, as part of a mission-led government. Funding was allocated at the Spending Review 2025 and has not been diverted from wider RAF or Air Defence budgets.

In the 2025 Spending Review, Government allocated over £500m for development of the first regional hydrogen network. Government is not prescriptive regarding support provision location, and will assess transport & storage project applications on merit against strategic objectives criteria (e.g. deliverability, decarbonisation potential, and value for money), before contract negotiations with highest-scoring projects. Hydrogen Transport & Storage Business Models support recipients will have had to demonstrate ability to deliver VfM infrastructure, and agreed scope of deliverables with Government. Provided projects meet eligibility criteria, they can apply regardless of location within Great Britain. We welcome applications from Wales on launching.

Vulnerable consumers who wish to switch energy supplier should contact their current supplier in the first instance who will be able to provide further information and support them through the process.

Vulnerable consumers can also contact Citizens Advice by phone or via their website for additional support with switching suppliers.

Those who need extra support are also able to sign up for the Priority Services Register for free. Those on the PSR receive extra help from suppliers, such as help taking their meter readings, advanced notice of power cuts, and making sure their phone calls are a priority.

Eligible individuals include those at or above State Pension age, those with a disability or medical condition, and people with children under the age of 5.

Detailed information on switching energy supplier can be found on Ofgem’s website: Switch energy supplier | Ofgem.

Guidance on how land type should be considered in determining the location of largescale solar projects is included in National Policy Statement EN-3. There are no current plans to make the production of a Soil Resources and Management Plan mandatory for solar projects on agricultural land.

No formal assessment has been made.

There is no barrier to the use of motorway land for generation. Motorways sometimes have spare ground, which could theoretically be used to generate power, such as by solar panels or wind turbines. There is frequently local demand for electricity, such as for lights and signs.

However, there are likely to be some practical challenges in each case. For example, developers would need to ensure that: equipment does not interfere with the flow of traffic; there is sufficient room for associated infrastructure; and it is safe for those performing maintenance on the systems.

Distribution charges - which in part make up the standing charge paid for by all consumers - are designed to be cost reflective and vary by region to reflect local factors in that area, such as geography, network topology and weather conditions.

The principle of cost reflectivity is an important means by which to drive down overall system costs as it helps to guide efficient investment decisions.

Government is working with Ofgem on examining how the costs of building and running the energy system are shared across consumers, aiming to find fairer, more efficient ways of charging, while supporting clean home-grown power and economic growth.

The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.

Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.

The Government continue to explore the use and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools to ensure UK can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. The Government’s Trade Strategy launched the Responsible Business Conduct Review as a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and to address the UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) schemes began delivery in April 2025.

Both schemes were oversubscribed demonstrating the high ambition of local authorities and social housing providers. We continue to see strong demand in both schemes.

To maximise delivery, where potential underspend has been identified it has been reallocated to high performing projects to ensure that grant funding is used by the end of the financial year.

Across both schemes, the final in-year spend can only be confirmed following robust financial management assessments. Financial reporting for the schemes will be available as part of DESNZ’s published annual accounts.

1. In 2024–25, none of the UK’s contribution to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) supported new programming in China.

2. The International Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Programme, which was managed under ESMAP, formally closed on 31August 2024. No UK funding was spent in 2024–25 through the CCUS programme.

The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.

Government expects Great British Energy (GBE) to become a sector leader in ethical supply chains.

GBE are embedding ethical standards across GBE and will develop a comprehensive Supply Chain Risk Framework overseen by Senior Accountable Director for Ethical Supply Chains, Baroness Frances O’Grady.

GBE will prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement, as required under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, setting out the steps it is taking to ensure slavery and human trafficking are not present in its business or supply chain. GBE will also utilise the debarment list as set out under the Procurement Act 2023.

The Carbon Trust estimates the UK’s total wave resource to be around 230 TWh/year, with an exploitable resource of 40–50 TWh/year. However, wave energy is not yet commercially viable. The Government monitors progress closely and supports innovation through research funding programmes operated by UK Research and Innovation. As set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, emerging technologies may have a role to play in the longer term, subject to cost reduction, performance improvement and demonstrated scalability.