Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps are the government taking to help ensure that homes and small businesses can buy power directly from local renewable energy schemes.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is ambitious for community energy and the role that it can play in delivering net zero and is working with Ofgem to address regulatory barriers, including routes to market. Through delivering on commitments in the Local Power Plan, we are working with Great British Energy to explore measures to make it easier for community energy groups to participate in local energy markets.
The department, Ofgem and wider energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support the local trade of energy. This includes work on rule P441, standardising the classification of local energy sites to provide a regulatory footing that will clarify the rules of setting them up. Further updates and outcomes from this work will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that reforms to energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector drives heat demand reduction via insulation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Reformed Energy Performance Certificates will assess properties’ energy performance against several metrics, one of which is fabric performance. The new minimum energy efficiency standards will require private rented homes to first meet a ‘C’ rating for fabric performance unless a relevant exemption is in place. The prioritisation of fabric measures will help ensure a reduction in heat demand, delivering bill savings for tenants and lifting households out of fuel poverty.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help prevent rogue energy brokers from targeting small businesses.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Government wants to provide all businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint.
Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers. The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.