Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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-funded home energy efficiency and retrofit schemes in reducing the risk of overheating during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, our buildings are not currently built to deal with record summer temperatures and some are at significant risk of overheating. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has estimated there have been 10,000 excess deaths caused by summer heatwaves since 2020 (Heat summary – heat mortality monitoring reports - GOV.UK).
That’s why the government is introducing the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing. These include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 future home retrofit programmes incorporate measures to improve low-income households' resilience to extreme heat.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan sets out our approach to upgrading the nation’s homes, including climate adaptation. Over this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing.
Passive cooling measures include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials. These enhance thermal comfort in hot weather and, when paired with active cooling, help mitigate energy bill increases.
We recognise that in some cases active cooling is needed to protect those most vulnerable to overheating and have taken steps to enable access to clean heat technologies that can also provide cooling functionality when necessary. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will provide £2,500 grants for air‑to‑air heat pumps, which can also provide cooling.
The Government also embed overheating considerations through the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), Awaab’s Law, and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 number of households unable to afford cooling appliances during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold this information.
The Warm Homes Plan sets out our approach to upgrading the nation’s homes, including climate adaptation. Over this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing.
Passive cooling measures include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials. These enhance thermal comfort in hot weather and, when paired with active cooling, help mitigate energy bill increases.
We recognise that in some cases active cooling is needed to protect those most vulnerable to overheating and have taken steps to enable access to clean heat technologies that can also provide cooling functionality when necessary. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will provide £2,500 grants for air‑to‑air heat pumps, which can also provide cooling.
The Government also embed overheating considerations through the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), Awaab’s Law, and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a list of capital projects that have been (a) cancelled, (b) delayed, (c) descoped and (d) reprofiled to fund the Defence Investment Plan, broken down by region and with the original funding allocation and revised funding allocation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The savings are a small part of DESNZ’s overall budget, which saw a significant uplift at Spending Review.
Our aim is for a large proportion of the savings to be found through efficiencies. We will set out more details in due course.
The UK clean energy economy is booming, with over £100bn of private sector investment announced since July 2024 thanks to the government’s clean energy mission.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department has provided to the retrofit market, housing associations and local authorities in order to implement the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises the essential role that local places play in accelerating progress towards net zero and is committed to working with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to deliver the Warm Homes Plan through an area-based approach.
The new Warm Homes Fund will help local authorities accelerate their existing consumer offers for solar PV. Additionally, Crown Commercial Service and Great British Energy are testing approaches to aggregating demand for technologies to drive down unit costs for both social housing landlords and the public sector estate.
The new Warm Homes Agency will play a pivotal role in supporting local partnerships, convening, facilitating and building capacity within local government.
Government support also includes funding five Local Net Zero Hubs, helping local authorities to develop decarbonisation projects and attract commercial investment.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department will implement new conditions which require public grants recipients to procure services from the Energy Company Obligation supply chain.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises the closure of the supplier obligation schemes may present challenges for companies in the supply chain.
The Warm Homes Plan, which confirmed an additional £1.5bn in low-income grant funding, represents our long-term plan and sets out a range of policy interventions designed to lower bills and tackle fuel poverty.
We will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO. We will engage the retrofit supply chain, Housing Associations and Local Authorities to agree an appropriate regime.
I will lead a working group of representatives from local authorities, housing associations and industry to coordinate action to support the retrofit supply chain.
This includes the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce which will support the transition to high-quality roles in low-carbon sectors.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much capital funding will be made available in April 2026 to support people impacted by the closure of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ Ministers have consulted on extending ECO4 by six to nine months, in order to support remediation activity and enable an orderly programme closure. The Government will publish its response to this consultation shortly. As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, £5 billion has been allocated to support low-income and fuel-poor households, comprising £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million through the new Warm Homes Fund. Delivery for low-income households will also continue through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund ahead of integration into a single, combined offer for all low-income households. Further details on future scheme design will be announced in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Warm Homes Agency will commence supporting companies and employees in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency impacted by the closure of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that ending Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme presents challenges for the supply chain. For the additional £1.5 billion announced in the Warm Homes Plan, the Government will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. The Government is also committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the Warm Homes Agency. The scope and timeline of the Agency’s operations are being developed and will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 improve the (a) consumer protection and (b) quality assurance frameworks for the Energy Company Obligation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is committed to creating a simpler, stronger system of standards and oversight, with reforms to ensure work is done right first time, create a clear and straightforward installation process, and enable swift redress.
The Government’s Retrofit System Reform Advisory Panel will continue to support us to develop these proposals. Further detail will be provided in the Warm Homes Plan.
In the short-term, Government is offering comprehensive on-site audits to every household with external wall insulation installed under ECO and GBIS, at no cost to the consumer.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
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 total cost of remediation for homes that received substandard external and internal wall insulation through the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No household should be asked to pay for remediation work. Where non-compliance is found and remediation is needed, the original installer is responsible for the cost of putting the work right. Should the installer have ceased trading, the protections under the 25-year guarantee can be invoked.
The vast majority of remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS has cost between £250 and £6,000 for internal wall insulation and £5,000 and £18,000 for external wall insulation. This would all be covered by the £20,000 guarantee required by TrustMark, should the installer no longer be trading.