Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many meetings his Department has had with (a) representatives of commercial nuclear manufacturers, (b) power utilities interested in building a new nuclear plant and (c) non-governmental organisations concerned with nuclear power in the last six months; and if he will publish the minutes of each meeting.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary 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: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 (a) the comparative efficiency and (b) cost-effectiveness of (i) improving the thermal efficiency of existing Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power stations and (ii) investing in small modular nuclear reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No direct assessment has been made of the impact of more efficient CCGTs on wholesale electricity prices, nor of the efficiency of CCGTs versus small modular reactors.
An efficient electricity system needs a range of technologies to ensure that we reach our carbon goals while ensuring cost-effective energy security. Increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market means that, over time, those technologies will determine the price more often and gas will play a much more limited role in setting the market price.
Improving efficiency of CCGTs is a commercial decision for plant operators.
Great British Nuclear (GBN) is driving forward its small modular reactor (SMR) competition for UK deployment. As with any technology, the economic case for SMRs would be factored into any investment decision.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 improving the efficiency of existing Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power stations on wholesale electricity prices.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No direct assessment has been made of the impact of more efficient CCGTs on wholesale electricity prices, nor of the efficiency of CCGTs versus small modular reactors.
An efficient electricity system needs a range of technologies to ensure that we reach our carbon goals while ensuring cost-effective energy security. Increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market means that, over time, those technologies will determine the price more often and gas will play a much more limited role in setting the market price.
Improving efficiency of CCGTs is a commercial decision for plant operators.
Great British Nuclear (GBN) is driving forward its small modular reactor (SMR) competition for UK deployment. As with any technology, the economic case for SMRs would be factored into any investment decision.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with energy companies on policy cost rebalancing on energy bills to incentivise the uptake of low-carbon technologies.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary 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: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of energy efficiency measures were funded by the (a) Energy Company Obligation, (b) Great British Insulation Scheme, (c) Home Upgrade Grant, (d) Warm Homes: Local Grant and (e) Warm Homes: Social Grant in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes Household Energy Efficiency Statistics reports which provide detailed breakdowns of measures installed under various government support schemes.
Statistics for 2023 are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-energy-efficiency-statistics-detailed-report-2023
Statistics for 2024 are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-energy-efficiency-statistics-detailed-report-2024
The Warm Homes: Local Grant has started delivery this year.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Government's response to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations consultation, published in March 2024, whether the Boiler Upgrade Scheme budget will rise in line with the figures on page 21 for scheme years (a) 2026-27 and (b) 2027-28.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following the conclusion of the first phase of the Spending Review on 30 October 2024, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has a committed budget of £295 million for this financial year (2025/26).
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a critical element of the Government’s Warm Homes Plan. A decision on funding for 2026/27 onwards will be confirmed as part of the second phase of the multi-year Spending Review, which will conclude in June this year.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on developing an online consumer advice service for retrofit.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is working to enhance our existing digital consumer advice offer on gov.uk by streamlining services into a single access point for all domestic consumers (homeowners, landlords and tenants. This will simplify the user experience and enable consumer to begin and progress their home upgrade and clean heat journeys. It will bring information, advice, sources of funding and links to trusted installers into one place and will consolidate existing services that enable consumers to create their own energy efficiency action plans and create direct referrals to grant scheme providers.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to continue the Energy Company Obligation after April 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to meeting fuel poverty and Net Zero targets, and we are currently considering what policy mix will best achieve that, including what role energy company obligations should play post-2026. We will ensure that lessons learned from the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) form part of these considerations and that any successor schemes are confirmed once decisions have been made.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 increasing capacity for Scottish onshore wind by 700MW between 2030 and 2035 on net zero targets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We don't consider the increase in capacity planned for Scotland between 2030 and 2035 to have an impact on our ability to reach our net zero targets.
The 2035 capacity number for Scotland is based on the National Energy System Operator’s Future Energy Scenarios, which present credible pathways to decarbonise our energy system as we strive towards the 2050 target.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 prevent (a) stalled and (b) speculative schemes from preventing viable renewable energy projects from progressing.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is working closely with Ofgem, National Energy System Operator (NESO) and network companies to reform the connections process and enable advanced projects, that align with our strategic needs, to connect faster. Ofgem is currently considering connection reform proposals from NESO, which include requirements for projects to demonstrate sufficient progress to obtain, and retain, a connection agreement.