Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 15 March 2024 to Question 18893 on Energy: Meters, whether her Department has had recent discussions with energy providers on the availability of technological solutions for households to replace radio teleswitching meters.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Smart meters are the natural technological solution to replace the Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) and associated meters.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions her Department has had with Ofgem on alternative energy meter arrangements for households reliant on Radio Teleswitch.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In their recent open letter, the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) set a clear expectation that energy suppliers must replace Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters in a timely and efficient manner, before the RTS is switched off (now confirmed by EnergyUK as the end of June 2025). Households should contact their energy supplier to arrange their upgrades, so they can continue to benefit from multi rate tariffs.
The Department will continue to engage with Ofgem and industry on this matter.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions her Department has had with Ofgem on (a) the best practice for the provision of details to clients of any electricity prices that will be charged on a caravan site, and (b) the level of enforcement action Ofgem have commenced against caravan sites that are overcharging for electricity.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government regularly engages with Ofgem on consumer issues. Under Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price Provisions caravan site owners must not resell energy to residents at a higher price than what they paid to their licensed energy supplier. Residents are also entitled to see documentation, including a breakdown of the rates included in a bill or a contract.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
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 consultation outcome entitled Review of electricity market arrangements, published on 7 March 2023, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of energy infrastructure in the Scottish Highlands.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. Whilst energy policy is a matter reserved to the UK Government under the devolution settlement, planning, including energy infrastructure planning, is devolved to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government published National Planning Framework 4 in February 2023 which has sections on energy and climate change. This is therefore a matter for the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions her Department has had with Ofgem on the equitability of standing charges.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss the energy retail market, including standing charges. Ofgem’s recent Call for Input (CfI) on standing charges closed on January 19th 2024. The Call for Input seeks to gain greater understanding on how standing charges are applied to energy bills and what alternatives could be considered. Government welcomes this and looks forward to Ofgem’s conclusions.
Further information on the CfI may be found online at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/launch-review-standing-charges-energy-bills
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the economic impact of Ofgem's current energy pricing structures on (a) businesses and (b) residents of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The setting of tariffs is a commercial matter for individual suppliers. Suppliers can decide how they structure their tariffs as long as they do not lead to households paying above the relevant maximums set by Ofgem under the price cap. There is no price cap for businesses.
To help protect North of Scotland consumers from high local electricity distribution costs, the Government’s Hydro Benefit Replacement Scheme provides an annual cross-subsidy of around £112m. It is funded via suppliers across GB, saving a typical North of Scotland household over £60 each year.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to encourage communities to support renewable energy network connection infrastructure in their localities.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Community support is critical to increasing the scale and pace of development of the electricity transmission network as we transition to net zero.
That is why, in November 2023, the government published its community benefit proposals for communities living near new transmission network infrastructure.
This includes publishing guidance this year covering benefits of £200,000/km for overhead lines, £40,000/km for underground cables, and £200,000 per substation. In addition, properties closest to new transmission network infrastructure will receive electricity bill discounts of up to £1,000 per year for 10 years.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an estimate of the future energy surplus the Scottish Highlands will produce per capita by 2030.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has made no estimate of the potential future energy surplus of the Scottish Highlands. The department’s Energy and Emissions Projections provide an estimate of future UK demand for energy, accounting for existing or near-final policies, and how future demand for electricity might be supplied, but these projections are at national level only.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on (a) the impact of high energy costs on the finances of businesses that agreed new electricity contracts in the last two years and (b) taking steps to help support those businesses to agree new electricity contracts.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss the energy retail market including for business customers.
The Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) provides all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a baseline discount on high energy bills for 12 months from April 2023 until 31 March 2024. The EBDS is helping businesses locked into contracts signed before substantial falls in wholesale prices manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again.
Ofgem’s non-domestic review findings noted that more than half of suppliers are now offering contract renegotiation.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has had discussions with Ofgem on the projected number of households which (a) will be impacted by the Radio Teleswitch Service switch off and (b) won't be moved onto new Smart Meter metering options in time for the switch off.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem’s recent Open Letter confirmed the numbers of households reliant on the Radio Teleswitching Service: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/open-letter-smart-meter-installations-prepayment-and-radio-teleswitch-customers
The Government expects energy suppliers to upgrade households with RTS to smart meters in good time in advance of the switch off. Households should contact their energy supplier to arrange their upgrades as soon as possible so they can continue to benefit from multi rate tariffs.