Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the whole life net carbon savings which will be forfeited as a result of removing the requirement for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applicants to comply with Energy Performance Certificate recommendations, in particular arising from (1) the need to specify an oversized heat pump if a home is not improved, and (2) the impact on the existing annual pipeline of grant applicants, many of whom would have proceeded to install in compliance with the old requirements.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Removing the insulation requirements from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will reduce barriers to scheme participation and increase the number of property owners moving from polluting fossil fuel heating systems to low carbon heating systems.
Whilst we are empowering consumers to decide what is right for them, it remains government guidance that properties should be well insulated to save money on bills.
In addition, we will continue to mandate that installers on the scheme are MCS certified to ensure systems are appropriately designed and sized for the property and customers are provided with advice on bills.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the evidence base used to underpin the decision, announced by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in March in its Boiler Upgrade Scheme Consultation Response, that future grant applicants' compliance with Energy Performance Certificate recommendations will be optional.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government response to the consultation on amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme sets out the responses received by industry stakeholders, including evidence to support the removal of the legal requirement to have no outstanding recommendations for cavity and loft insulation which was determined a barrier to access the scheme.
Asked by: Lord Stunell (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the departmental budget for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for the current financial year is allocated to supporting, promoting and delivering (1) energy demand reduction measures, and (2) zero and low carbon energy generation measures; and what changes in the departmental budget and headcount for those tasks are planned for the 2024–25 financial year.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government published how the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s current year budget has been allocated in the 2023-24 Main Estimate. The Government will publish the equivalent information for the 2024-25 financial year in the forthcoming 2024-25 Main Estimate. Departmental headcount figures are published each year in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.