Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an estimate of the amount of non-residential building roof space that is (a) available and (b) suitable for the installation of solar panels.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No such estimate has been made.
However, deploying rooftop solar remains a key part of the Government’s clean power mission, and it continues to be one of the most popular and easily deployed renewable energy sources. Solar is also an important part of the Government’s strategy for increasing energy performance of buildings, and the Future Standards this year will ensure our new buildings are fit for a Net Zero future. The Warm Homes plan will set out pathways for decarbonisation of all buildings, including non-domestic ones. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out soon.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's blog entitled Warm Homes Plan and heat pumps, published on 21 November 2024, when permitted development rights for air source heat pump installations will be extended.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A Statutory Instrument to update the permitted development right for air source heat pump installations in England was laid in parliament on 8 May and will come into force on 29 May 2025. These changes will enable more households to install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application. The Statutory Instrument can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/560/made.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with (a) Ripple Energy and (b) the administrators of Ripple Energy on protections for the customers of Ripple Energy’s cooperative energy projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department spent on redesigning the logo for Great British Energy in 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy’s branding and logo were developed in-house with government resources.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 help ensure that (a) heat pumps and (b) other renewable heating solutions are (i) accessible and (ii) affordable.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Government’s Warm Homes Plan, policies including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Local Grant and Energy Company Obligation are delivering financial support for low carbon heating. Heat pump installations are also zero-rated for VAT.
The Government will also amend Permitted Development Rights, removing the 1m rule for air source heat pump installations in England.
We expect most properties will ultimately switch to heat pumps, with evidence showing they are widely suitable across UK housing archetypes. The Government will keep this position under review as the evidence base on possible alternatives develops.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 help ensure that the (a) workforce, (b) skills of the workforce and (c) funding is adequate to support the roll-out of his Department's retro-fitting schemes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has invested over £25 million to establish three Skills Training Competitions and the Heat Training Grant, which subsidise 33,000 retrofit training opportunities. The Heat Training Grant is on track to train 10,000 trained heat pump and heat network installers by April this year. These initiatives support the delivery of the Department’s retrofit schemes. The Government will continue to work with industry to facilitate a competent and robust retrofit supply chain in which businesses can grow. Further detail will be set out in our Warm Homes Plan later this year.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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) local authorities and (b) community groups that provide energy efficiency improvements receive adequate funding to implement his Department's policies as set out in the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan. We will set out full details of our Warm Homes Plan in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 through the Warm Homes Plan to help ensure that (a) homes occupied by low-income families and (b) all homes meet high energy efficiency standards.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has pledged to take action to stand with tenants and deliver the safety and security of warmer, cheaper homes, and has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1bn of this allocated to 2025/2026. We have published our consultation on improving energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector in England and Wales, containing proposals that could lift up to half a million households in England out of fuel poverty by 2030. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reclaiming any portion of the subsidies provided to Drax Power Limited, in the context of the finding by Ofgem that Drax had misreported data in relation to their annual profiling submission between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, published on 29 August 2024.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Ofgem did not find any evidence to suggest that Drax had been issued with subsidies incorrectly. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made representations to Drax on the increase in whistleblower reports recorded by the organisation between 2022 and 2023.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.