Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Warm homes and cheaper bills as government accelerates Plan for Change, published on 7 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the upgrading of rented homes to Energy Performance Certificate C on housing supply.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 and was accompanied by the Department’s impact assessment. The assessment makes clear that we are unable to quantify the extent to which this will impact the supply of properties, as landlords may take different approaches and the policy is not yet finalised. The consultation closed on the 2nd May and we are currently reviewing responses and supporting evidence. Following this, a government response and further impact assessment will be published.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timeline is for the carbon capture sites in Merseyside and Teesside.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Having reached financial close with East Coast Cluster in December 2024, and with the HyNet Transport and Storage Company, operated by Liverpool Bay CCS, in April 2025, construction is already underway, and we expect the Transport & Storage Companies to be operational from 2028. We continue to negotiate with other Track-1 projects and hope to conclude these negotiations as soon as possible subject to several assessments, including value for money.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the social housing obligation from future iterations of the Energy Company Obligation scheme on the retrofit measures provided to fuel poor households.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to meeting fuel poverty and Net Zero targets, and we are currently considering what policy mix will best achieve that, including what role energy company obligations should play post-2026.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) requires energy suppliers to fund energy efficiency and heating upgrades in eligible homes, with costs recovered through consumer bills. Since 2013, 4.2 million measures have been installed in 2.5 million homes. ECO4’s final impact assessment projected a positive net present value of £0.8 billion, underscoring the strong social impact and economic value of ECO.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support vulnerable people with fluctuations in the cost of energy.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers, including vulnerable individuals, permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.
However, we recognise the need to support vulnerable households struggling with their bills as we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the £150 Warm Home Discount to around 3 million households last winter. In February, we published a consultation to expand the Warm Home Discount to bring an extra 2.7 million households into the scheme, which would push the total number of eligible households up to around 6 million households from next winter. The consultation has now closed, and the Department is evaluating responses.
I urge any vulnerable households struggling with their energy bills to contact their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice to see what support they can receive.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department is ensuring the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of carbon capture projects funded by public money.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has developed a series of models to incentivise behaviour in line with our objectives and deliver value for money for consumers and taxpayers. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority provides oversight of the Programme, as a Government’s Major Projects Portfolio, through Gateway Reviews and reporting, and the programme has been subject to National Audit Office reviews and Public Accounts Committee hearings. Partner organisations, such as OFGEM, Low Carbon Contracts Company, and Central Grants and Loans have a key role in providing accountability through monitoring the performance of the Transport & Storage Companies and emitters. The contracts set out regulations according to which support can be withdrawn where key milestones are not met. The Full Business Cases and associated assessments will be published in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term (a) safety and (b) environmental impact of carbon capture facilities.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Carbon capture and the transport and storage of CO2 are safe technologies underpinned by strong regulatory frameworks to mitigate potential risks associated with those activities.
There are several regulators in the UK in place to protect human health and the environment, including: Environment Agency (EA) Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Natural Resources Wales and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)
Additionally, the storage permit, regulated by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), for a storage site will only be issued when the NSTA are confident that there will be no significant risk of leakage or of harm to the environment and human health from the CO2 storage.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of carbon capture and storage facilities.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Carbon capture and the transport and storage of CO2 are safe technologies underpinned by strong regulatory frameworks to mitigate potential risks associated with those activities.
There are several regulators in the UK in place to protect human health and the environment, including: Environment Agency (EA) Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Natural Resources Wales and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)
Additionally, the storage permit, regulated by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), for a storage site will only be issued when the NSTA are confident that there will be no significant risk of leakage or of harm to the environment and human health from the CO2 storage.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that carbon capture and storage does not disproportionately impact energy bills for consumers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the costs of the UK’s transition to Net Zero are fair and affordable for all energy consumers.
The CCUS programme will be funded through a mixture of levy and government funding. We have created several business models to fund CCUS projects based on the technology they are using, designed to support this nascent industry whilst ensuring value for money.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support households that may not have their electricity meters replaced before the 30 June 2025 deadline through no fault of their own.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made clear to industry that suppliers must fulfil their obligations to customers and drive up the rate of Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter replacements.
As part of the RTS Taskforce we are doing all that we can to protect consumers from any negative impacts, and make sure that the carefully managed phase out process of RTS from 30 June is as smooth as possible for consumers.