Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 potential merits of strengthening safety requirements for diesel generators located near residential buildings in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the regulator responsible for health and safety, including relevant safety requirements relating to electrical equipment. Government will continue to work closely with HSE to ensure that the highest safety standards are maintained.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to review their guidance on electricity usage assumptions for households with higher reliance on electric heating.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not provide guidance on electricity usage assumptions for households with higher reliance on electric heating. However, the Quarterly Energy Prices bills estimates are presented for average domestic gas and electricity consumption levels including assumptions for average consumption for standard electricity and Economy 7.
These are reviewed regularly and updated at least every five years. Further detail of the methodology used is available Average Annual Domestic Consumption Levels Review: methodology note.
These differ from Ofgem’s Typical Domestic Consumption Values which provide the annual gas and electricity usage of a ‘typical’ domestic consumer, expressed as the median consumption value.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 trends in the level of electricity costs for residents living in retirement housing in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department closely follows electricity price trends on a regular basis. You can find the most reliable sources for these trends and further information on energy cost statistics here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-energy-prices
No such assessment exists for specific sectors such as retirement homes. The specific costs for consumers, including retirement homes, will depend on the terms of their energy contracts with their energy supplier or the arrangements that their retirement homes have made
The Government is aware that energy bills are too high, particularly for vulnerable consumers, and we are wholly focused on bringing these costs down.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 increase awareness of (a) emissions and (b) environmental impacts associated with supply chains in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
(a) Defra publishes statistics each year on the UK’s carbon footprint, including greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chains of goods and services used by UK residents. These data are also available for England only. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-carbon-footprint
(b) In June the government consulted on a framework of policies to build the market for low-carbon industrial products, alongside the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan. The policies aim to deliver the guidance, tools, and levers to enable buyers to make informed choices through better information on the carbon content of industrial goods, with an initial focus on the steel, cement, and concrete sectors.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 potential economic merits of linking UK and the EU Emissions Trading Schemes.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Linking is expected to bring significant economic benefits. It would create a larger, stable carbon market, support British businesses through removing trade barriers, support UK renewable rollout and lower electricity costs.
Linking is expected to facilitate a mutual UK-EU CBAM exemption, removing a major barrier to trade and lowering costs for UK firms. Linking is also expected to support new green industries in the UK and enable cross-border CO2 storage.
UK Government analysis was published on 19th May 2025 and is available at Gov.uk
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 potential merits of requiring houses in multiple occupation to achieve an energy performance certificate rating of D or better.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector and reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). The Energy Performance of Buildings consultation asked whether houses in multiple occupation should require EPCs.
If a property is let on a relevant tenancy and is legally required to have an EPC then it will need to meet the private rented sector minimum energy efficiency standard, unless a valid exemption applies.
Government has proposed to raise the standard from E to C or equivalent by 2030. A government response to both consultations will be published in due course.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of (a) external and (b) internal insulation installations completed under Government energy efficiency schemes that require remediation in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government commissioned an independent statistical audit, however this sample was designed to estimate the overall rates of non-compliance across Great Britain. The samples are not large enough to reliably perform any regional analysis. As we continue with further audits, we will seek to begin to collect this data.
The statistical audit was commissioned by Ofgem in April 2025. Two random samples of audits of external (EWI) and internal wall installations (IWI), across the household populations of both schemes were commissioned to understand non‑compliance rates.
98% of EWI audits need to be remediated. For IWI, that number is 29%.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 effectiveness of Government energy efficiency schemes in reducing fuel poverty in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The fuel poverty rate in Surrey Heath constituency in 2023 was estimated to be 7.1% of households.
Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for this Government. We are committed to publishing a new fuel poverty strategy for England which will ensure that many more fuel poor households achieve affordable warmth by 2030, alongside our Warm Homes Plan.
In March we allocated around £1.8 billion to local authorities and social housing providers through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to help upgrade homes and to tackle fuel poverty. Support for home upgrades is also available via the Energy Company Obligation.
Financial support is available through the Warm Home Discount which has been expanded for this winter increasing the total number of households that are estimated to receive the discount from 3.2 million to around 6 million.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 (a) internal and (b) external insulation installed under Government energy efficiency schemes are fitted to a high standard in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Companies installing insulation under the Government’s energy efficiency schemes must be registered with Trustmark and carry out work to the PAS2035 standard.
We have improved the quality assurance and consumer protection systems since identifying the issues with solid wall insulation under ECO4 and GBIS.
We will be offering a comprehensive on-site audit to all households that received external wall insulation under ECO4 and GBIS and any issues will be fixed at no cost to the householder.
TrustMark and certification bodies can suspend companies who do not meet the expected standards, and will continue to enforce the robust, published reinstatement policy.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 potential merits of providing support to solar cooperatives in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local communities must be at the centre of local project development and directly benefit from clean energy projects.
GBE, in support of the Local Power Plan, will enhance support for local and community energy by providing funding, capacity and capability support at all stages of project development, driving the growth of the local and community energy sector.