Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she is considering the potential merits of introducing an Essential Energy Guarantee to lower energy bills for households.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling the cost of living is a priority for this Government. The measures announced at the Autumn Budget on 28 October provide breathing space for families and businesses, particularly with energy costs.
The Government is extending the VAT cut on qualifying domestic electricity supplies until July 2027, which is expected to ensure the annual Ofgem price in April 2027 remains around £50 lower than it would otherwise have been.
The Government is also launching a £2.6 billion Household Energy Payment, which will provide a £100 payment directly into bank accounts from January 2027 for households in England in council tax bands A-D, supporting up to 20 million households. Devolved Governments will receive their share of this additional funding through the Barnett formula.
These measures accompany other forms of support, such as the Warm Home Discount, which supports 5.7 million households.
The Government will continue to explore ways to support households with the cost of living. A key part of this is making better use of data across the public sector, allowing support to be better targeted to those who need it most. DESNZ is working with other Government departments to improve the use of data in targeting support.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming increase in the energy price cap on household finances.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The level of the price cap level for the period 1 January to 31 March has not yet been confirmed, and any forecast at this stage is uncertain. Ofgem will announce the level of the forthcoming price cap at the end of November in the usual way. We will continue to work closely with Ofgem to monitor wholesale energy prices.
That said, tackling the cost of living is a priority for this Government. The measures announced at the Autumn Budget on 28 October provide breathing space for families, particularly with energy costs.
The Government is launching a £2.6 billion Household Energy Payment, which will provide a £100 payment directly into bank accounts from January 2027 for households in England in council tax bands A-D, supporting up to 20 million households. The UK Government is allocating this additional funding to the devolved administrations using the Barnett formula. They will be responsible for deciding how best to use this funding based on local needs.
This is immediate relief to give low-income households breathing space this year, alongside the Government extending the temporary 0% rate of VAT on qualifying domestic electricity supplies until July 2027. This is expected to ensure the annual Ofgem price in April 2027 remains around £50 lower than it would otherwise have been.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's report entitled Government response to the CMA heating oil market study, published on 13 October 2026, when she expects each of the accepted recommendations to be implemented.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, and is taking forward proposals to regulate the heating oil sector for the first time, making sure households who use heating oil are treated fairly.
Getting this approach right will take time, to ensure the best outcomes for consumers. In the meantime, we will take practical steps to strengthen consumer protections without delay. Working across government, Ofgem and with industry and consumer groups, we will seek improvements to existing codes of practice, promote access to existing appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms, and increase consumer awareness of available support.
The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration he has given to the introduction of a price cap for heating oil.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have requested that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) undertake a detailed examination of the heating oil market and we will work closely with the CMA to understand their findings and develop options to increase consumer protection.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer to Question 88054 answered on 17th November 2025, how involve is defined with regard to consulting Fire and Rescue Services during public consultation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The relevant part of the Planning Practice Guidance on expected interactions between local planning authorities and local fire and rescue services with respect to grid-scale batteries is at paragraph 35.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer to Question 88051 answered on 17th November 2025, if he will consider publishing interim data on this topic.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fuel poverty statistics are based on the English Housing Survey which is collected annually. The department does not hold interim statistics or data on fuel poverty collected between English Housing Survey samples. The date for the next publication in 2026 will be pre-announced in line with the standards for official statistics.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to ensure local communities are consulted on the safety of proposed battery storage sites.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Developers of standalone grid-scale batteries must seek planning approval as outlined in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. This requires local planning authorities to undertake a formal period of public consultation for at least 21 days. Those living near to the proposed site may offer views or detailed information relevant to the application, including on safety measures.
Planning Practice Guidance recommends that developers should also engage with local fire services ahead of submitting their planning application.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's plans are for the future of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good and will publish more details soon.
On 18 November, the Government published the response to the recent consultation, which closed on 11 June. This provides detail on amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme which will be implemented from next year.
These changes are designed to increase access, stimulate further demand, and enhance existing consumer protections, making low carbon heating technologies more accessible to a wider range of property owners and small businesses.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84891 on Fuel Poverty: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, when he plans to publish regional fuel poverty figures for Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency for 2024.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Subregional fuel poverty statistics are normally published annually in April. The date for the next publication in 2026 will be pre-announced in line with the standards for official statistics. These statistics will provide data for 2024 for regions, local authorities, parliamentary constituencies, and Lower Super Output Areas.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department last made an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) planning practice guidance and (b) other aspects of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In August 2023, the government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to consult Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting applications and for planning authorities to involve FRSs during public consultation. The guidance also advises authorities to refer to National Fire Chiefs Council recommendations. The government has committed to updating planning practice guidance on renewable and low carbon energy development.
The government monitors the safety framework for grid-scale batteries closely. In October, I hosted a roundtable discussion with regulators including the Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency on the safety framework. My department works closely with regulators through the industry-led Health and Safety Governance Group to ensure that the framework remains robust and future proofed.