Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

On 6 March 2024, the Government confirmed over £1 billion of budget will be available in the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6 auction, including £800 million allocated to offshore wind. This followed the announcement in November that the administrative strike prices for fixed and floating offshore wind had been increased by 66% and over 50% respectively, since the previous allocation round.

This budget announcement makes this the largest round yet, with four times more budget available to offshore wind than in the previous round.

The Department understands the concerns raised by both industry trade bodies and individual energy suppliers, on the potential impact of the proposed reconciliation date for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. To that end, the Department has been working closely with the concerned parties to develop a reconciliation proposal for the £7.5 billion scheme, that strikes the right balance of addressing suppliers concerns and protecting public funds, including potentially adding additional reconciliation windows.

The emission reduction potential of hybrid heat pumps is dependent on several factors, including the proportion of heating delivered by the heat pump.

The Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, delivered by Energy Systems Catapult, showed that, for hybrid heat pumps installed under the project, the median proportion of space heating delivered by the heat pump was around 40%.

The Government will continue to gather further evidence and monitor technological and market developments.

Ofgem includes an ‘adjustment allowance’ in the price cap calculation to account for elements such as consumer debt. In the April-June 2024 price cap, the amount is £28 per typical domestic customer bill per year.

Ofgem publishes price cap calculations on its website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/energy-price-cap-default-tariff-policy/energy-price-cap-default-tariff-levels

The Department has met with energy suppliers and their trade bodies to develop the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) reconciliation arrangements. To that end, the Department has been working closely with suppliers to develop an evidence base, needed to enact any effective change to the policy that met the concerns of industry whilst also ensuring the return of any public money owed.

Notably, the Department issued a Request for Information (RFI), in March, in order to gather the necessary evidence and data that would inform any effective policy change. Whilst the returns were not as detailed as expected, this did allow the Department to develop an amended approach that struck a balance between industry concerns and the need to return taxpayer funds if owed.

Details of the proposed amended approach have been shared with both industry bodies, the I&C Shippers and Suppliers (ICoSS) and Energy UK, in early May. This was presented to all suppliers and trade bodies at a roundtable chaired by the Department on 22 May.

The setting of standing charges associated with tariffs is a commercial matter for suppliers, and suppliers have the flexibility in how they structure their tariffs. Ofgem regulates standing charges, as they do with other elements of billing.

The Government is pleased that Ofgem is considering the issue of standing charges through their recent Call for Input and looks forward to hearing its findings and future proposals. The Government expects bills to be fair and affordable for all consumers (including for electric vehicle charging), that standing charges are kept as low as possible, and that the right costs are recovered.

The Government wants people across the country to have the opportunity to make the move to electric vehicles wherever they live and work.

Our £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to address regional charging inequality and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers. The data-led allocation model to award funding considers the level of rurality with local authorities in rural areas allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.

In addition, the Workplace Charging Scheme supports businesses including charities, small accommodation businesses, public sector organisations, and state-funded education institutions with grants for chargepoints.

The Targeted Charging Review is a matter for Ofgem. The 2019 Targeted Charging Review reviewed network charging arrangements, including the allocation of standing charges.

Ofgem is considering the issue of standing charges through their recent Call for Input and we look forward to hearing its findings and future proposals. We expect bills to be fair and affordable for all consumers (including for electric vehicle charging), that standing charges are kept as low as possible, and that the right costs are recovered.

The Government response to the Improving Boiler Standards and Efficiency consultation confirmed that we remain of the view that hybrid heat pumps can play an important role in heat decarbonisation up to 2028 as part of the target to reach 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028.

From winter 2022 the Government extended the Warm Home Discount to support more households in fuel poverty, who have low incomes and live in homes that are costly to heat. For winter 2023/24 we lowered the threshold for a property to be considered costly to heat and we expect over 3 million households to have received the rebate. The official WHD statistics for 2023/24 will be published on 20^th June.

As the scheme is funded by participating energy suppliers, we have struck a balance between supporting as many households as possible, providing meaningful support, and limiting the impact on wider consumer bills.

Energy prices have significantly fallen in the past year. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.

In addition, the Government produced impact assessments for the consultation in 2021 on expanding and reforming the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales and for the publication of the Government Response in 2022, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022

The setting of standing charges is a commercial matter for suppliers, and suppliers have the flexibility in how they structure their tariffs. Ofgem regulates standing charges, as they do with other elements of billing.

The Government is pleased that Ofgem is considering the issue of standing charges through their recent Call for Input and looks forward to hearing its findings and future proposals. The Government expects bills to be fair and affordable for all consumers (including for electric vehicle charging), that standing charges are kept as low as possible, and that the right costs are recovered.

The Department values strong working relationships with both industry trade bodies, and the individual energy suppliers that they represent. The Department hosted a roundtable on 6 March 2024 with energy suppliers and industry bodies to discuss the final reconciliation arrangements of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS).

Since then, taking on board feedback received from suppliers and trade bodies, the Department has shared further details on a proposed revised reconciliation approach with energy suppliers, and in early May officials met with the I&C Shippers and Suppliers (ICoSS) and Energy UK (gas and electricity industry trade bodies) to also share the proposed approach.

A further roundtable with all suppliers and trade bodies was held on 22 May, where officials shared current thinking on the EBRS reconciliation and offboarding approach.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero did not exist between 2019 and January 2023, we are unable to provide data on ministerial redundancies for this period.

The Department has reviewed its records and do not have any evidence of the repayment of ministerial redundancy payments since its formation in February 2023.

We can confirm that the only information we hold regarding the purpose of these payments is related to the provision of catering, conference attendance and accommodation.

We can confirm that the only information we hold regarding the purpose of these payments to Mons Hospitality over the timeframe stated is related to the provision of food and drink/catering at COP28

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is the leading standards and quality assurance organisation for microgeneration technologies in the UK, is the certification scheme for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). All installers that participate in the RHI are required to be a member of MCS.

Consumers in this situation should contact MCS. It has a procedure that enables another MCS certified installer to take over responsibility for the consumer’s installation, so the consumer should not suffer any detriment or require support.

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is the leading standards and quality assurance organisation for microgeneration technologies in the UK, is the certification scheme for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). All installers that participate in the RHI are required to be a member of MCS.

MCS conducted a public consultation on its operating model in 2023, and is currently implementing a programme of reform to strengthen its support for consumers. The department continues to work with MCS and its stakeholders to monitor the impact of these reforms.

Planning consents will set requirements for pre-construction archaeological surveys where appropriate, and techniques used may include trial trenching. The most appropriate technique is likely to depend on the specific circumstances in each case.

Planning guidance on assessing potential impacts of large-scale solar projects on the historic environment is set out in the recently published Energy National Policy Statements. In most cases, applicants are required to seek expert assessment. Where assessments include investigative work, such as trial trenching, this should be proportionate.

Conducting this work during the pre-application planning phase enables developers to take into account findings and, if necessary, mitigate impacts by adapting project design at an early stage. It provides a robust evidence base to support decision making, helping to avoid delays after applications have been submitted or post consent.

As set out in the updated Energy National Policy Statements, the extent of investigative work to assess potential impacts of ground mount solar projects on the historic environment, including trial trenching, should be proportionate to the sensitivity of, and extent of, proposed ground disturbance in the associated study area.

The Government recognises that both local organisations and universities can, and do, play an important role in driving local action on net zero and is supportive of them working together to do so. We provide a range of support for Local areas to decarbonise, for example through our Local Net Zero Hubs which support local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is a Disability Confident Leader. While there are no dedicated roles working on Disability Confident, several teams lead work to support the scheme. This includes the recruitment team that ensures activity is compliant with the scheme, and all recruiting managers are provided with information on how to apply the scheme. The department monitors data regularly to ensure that the scheme is effectively applied. DESNZ provides prospective candidates with information on reasonable adjustments that can be made in line with our legal obligations. The department’s Disability Confident self-assessment has been validated and is regularly reviewed.