Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 support the development and implementation of carbon removal and storage technologies to achieve the UK's net-zero targets.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies will be important for reaching net zero. The Government has been developing Business Models to incentivise private investment into large-scale removal projects, commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a Greenhouse Gas Removal Standard, has delivered £100 million in innovation funding, including through the Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme and published a consultation on the inclusion of Greenhouse Gas Removals in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. Greenhouse Gas Removal and Power Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage projects were allowed to apply to the HyNet Track-1 expansion cluster.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet with the hon. Member for West Dorset to discuss carbon removal.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Invitations to meet should be sent in the normal way by post or by email.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to incentivise the adoption of low-carbon heating solutions in residential properties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.
The Government has launched the ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign to promote the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The campaign seeks to build consumer awareness and understanding of heat pumps, as well as publicising the £7,500 government grant. The BUS is available to homeowners in England and Wales, including West Dorset.
There is also a zero-rate of VAT until March 2027 on energy saving measures, such as insulation and low-carbon heating.
Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to farmers to improve the insulation of farmhouses.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings, income groups, and housing types such as farmhouses. As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed initial £3.4 billion over the next three years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency.
There are various schemes currently delivering home energy efficiency improvements including the Energy Company Obligation, the Great British Insulation Scheme, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The new Warm Homes: Local Grant will support low-income homeowners and private tenants with insulation measures, with delivery beginning this year.
Households can also use the home retrofit tool on GOV.UK, ‘Find ways to save energy in your home’ (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) which allows users to get tailored recommendations for home improvements that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 potential financial impact on (a) households reliant on Economy 7 and (b) other households using time-of-use tariffs of the reduction of off-peak periods to seven hours.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of time of use tariffs, and we are putting in place reforms such as Smart Metering and the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement to support the growth of these products. Tariff setting is a matter for suppliers, including the setting of peak and off-peak tariffs, and is regulated by Ofgem, including through the price cap which already has a variant to accommodate multi-rate tariffs such as Economy 7.
I regularly engage with stakeholders, including consumer groups and energy suppliers, to ensure that the sector meets the differing needs of consumers.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department consulted (a) consumer groups and (b) energy providers on the reduction of off-peak tariff periods associated with smart meters.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of time of use tariffs, and we are putting in place reforms such as Smart Metering and the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement to support the growth of these products. Tariff setting is a matter for suppliers, and is regulated by Ofgem, including through the price cap which already has a variant to accommodate multi-rate tariffs such as Economy 7.
I regularly engage with stakeholders, including consumer groups and energy suppliers, to ensure that the sector meets the differing needs of consumers.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing off-peak tariff periods from 12 to seven hours on households reliant on overnight energy use.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of time of use tariffs, and we are putting in place reforms such as Smart Metering and the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement to support the growth of these products. Tariff setting is a matter for suppliers, including the setting of peak and off-peak tariffs, and is regulated by Ofgem, including through the price cap which already has a variant to accommodate multi-rate tariffs such as Economy 7.
I regularly engage with stakeholders, including consumer groups and energy suppliers, to ensure that the sector meets the differing needs of consumers.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 promote rural innovation in green technologies in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Technology and innovation are essential to reaching clean power by 2030 and are a critical part of the Government’s deployment plans for achieving the Clean Energy Superpower Mission.
The Southwest of England is playing an important role in advancing clean technologies, with over £120m committed to the region through our Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 support people in rural communities to (a) transition to renewable energy sources and (b) maintain local environmental protections.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will support both rural and urban communities to roll out small and medium scale renewable energy projects, providing commercial, technical and project‑planning assistance, increasing their capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in their local areas.
Renewable projects are subject to planning controls to protect local communities and the environment.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 support communities in rural areas to access (a) funding and (b) other incentives for net-zero projects.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recognises the important role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change and offers support for the sector. Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will support communities to roll out small and medium scale renewable energy projects, providing commercial, technical and project‑planning assistance, increasing their capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in their local areas. Government also supports the sector through the £10 million Community Energy Fund, which allows both rural and urban communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.