Helen Morgan

Negotiations with Canada on this issue are ongoing. Maintaining current market access for our dairy sector is a top priority. The UK has longstanding rights to access the Canadian market through our membership at the WTO. We continue to make this clear to the Canadian government at all levels.

We are working with the construction sector, to support a range of initiatives to reduce its emission contributions to help meet our net zero target. This includes the Construction Leadership Council’s Construct Zero initiative, which covers the design of buildings, construction processes, decarbonising plant and machinery it uses, and training in relevant skills. The Government has also worked with the industry to produce the Low Carbon Concrete Routemap, a Zero Diesel Routemap for construction sites and to revise the PAS 2080 standard for carbon management in buildings and infrastructure projects.

There are no current plans to increase the £15,000 price cap for park home properties in phase two of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG). However, under HUG Local Authorities (LAs) may spend up to £15,000, on average, to install energy efficiency or low carbon heating measures in park homes. This means that LAs can spend less than £15,000 on park homes that need fewer measures, and more than £15,000 on those park homes that need more extensive work – so long as the average cost across the stock being upgraded is £15,000 or less.

The Energy Bills Support Scheme was a Government initiative to help 29 million households with energy bills over winter 2022/23. Eligible households received a £400 non-repayable Government discount. This scheme is now closed.

£630m has been allocated to Local Authorities (LAs) for Phase 2 of the Home Upgrade Grant, which began in April 2023. So far around £1.5m has been released to LAs for 113 park homes. Under this Phase, up to 10% of the total homes improved by a LA may be park homes; LAs may spend up to £15,000, on average, to install energy efficiency or low carbon heating measures in park homes.

In addition to updating existing best practice guidance documents for insulation measures, the Department is working with industry to publish a best practice guide for park homes insulation. A date for publication of the park homes guide will be confirmed in due course.

While an estimate has not been undertaken by the Government of the lifespan of park homes, the Government supports park home residents in the transition to net zero through the Homes Upgrade Grant, Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme.

ECO4 is the latest iteration of the Energy Company Obligation scheme which installs energy efficiency measures in households within Great Britain only.

Over the 12 months to the end of June 2023 (the latest available data by parliamentary constituency), there were around 143,500 ECO4 measures installed in Great Britain and 242 measures installed in North Shropshire constituency.

Over this period, the number of ECO4 installations has generally increased in both Great Britain and North Shropshire constituency.

ECO4 is the latest iteration of the Energy Company Obligation scheme which installs energy efficiency measures in households within Great Britain only.

Over the 12 months to the end of June 2023 (the latest available data by parliamentary constituency), there were around 143,500 ECO4 measures installed in Great Britain and 242 measures installed in North Shropshire constituency.

Over this period, the number of ECO4 installations has generally increased in both Great Britain and North Shropshire constituency.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.

The proportion of refusals of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment Scheme that were later overturned is information that is not held centrally and providing that information would incur disproportionate cost.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), launched in 2020, will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs. Total committed funding for the SHDF and associated demonstrator is just over £1bn.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

The Government is committed to expanding electricity network capacity to accommodate new clean sources of electricity generation and demand, as set out jointly with Ofgem in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework.

Across Great Britain, Ofgem has already accelerated £20bn of strategic transmission projects to support the government’s 2030 renewables ambition and has allowed £22.2bn for local distribution networks to expand capacity ready for low-carbon technology growth.

The government does not hold data by constituency but Scottish Power Energy Networks, the Distribution Network Operator that covers North Shropshire, has been allowed nearly £3bn to maintain and upgrade its areas between 2023-28.

Support to upgrade the energy performance of social homes is provided through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Energy Company Obligation, Local Authority Delivery and Home Upgrade Grant.

There have been no installations of heat pumps or biomass boilers in social housing under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as these properties are not eligible.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

In relation to question 194284, providing this information would exceed the threshold and incur a disproportionate cost to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

For questions 194278 and 194281, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 July 2023 to questions 194610, 194611, 194612 and 194613.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), launched in 2020, will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs. Total committed funding for the SHDF and associated demonstrator is just over £1bn.

Low carbon heating technologies compatible with the Standard Assessment Procedure may be installed under the scheme.

As part of the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government committed to consider setting a new regulatory standard of EPC C for the social rented sector.

The Department does not hold specific information on the total number of clean heat installations in social housing.

The Government ‘Help to Heat’ schemes: Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) support the installation of clean heat in social housing. Please see the gov.uk website for statistics on these schemes: SHDF, ECO, HUG.

Businesses have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7.4 billion of support.

Businesses will continue to get a discount on energy bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024. Eligible businesses who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier will see a unit discount of up to £6.97/MWh automatically applied to their gas bill and up to £19.61/MWh to their electricity bill. This will be subject to a wholesale price threshold of £107/MWh for gas and £302/MWh for electricity. A higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive – predominately manufacturing industries.

On March 2nd 2023, the Government announced a £5m Heat Training Grant to support trainees in England undertaking training relevant to heat pumps and heat networks. This is expected to support 10,000 training opportunities up to 2025.

The training grant comes in addition to the £15m the Government has already committed since 2020 to develop skills in the energy efficiency and low carbon heating sectors.

Training providers are not required to report to Government when they offer heat pump training. Industry groups are confident there is enough training capacity to meet demand for heat pump upskilling as heat pump deployment increases to meet the target of 600,000 installations per year by 2028.

Since 2020, the Government has provided funding to support nearly 9,000 training opportunities for low carbon heating. In March 2023, the Government announced a further £5m Heat Training Grant to support training relevant to heat pumps and heat networks. This funding is expected to support 10,000 training opportunities up to 2025.

The Government does not hold information on the number of hybrid heat pumps sold in each of the last three years.

However, according to Delta EE’s report ‘UK Heating market report 2021’, 1,400 hybrids were sold in the UK in 2021.

The Government is providing funding through the ‘Help to Heat’ schemes, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides £5,000 grants for an air-source heat pump, in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on this technology.

These schemes are part of a comprehensive package to grow the heat pump market and work with industry to reduce costs to consumers, which also includes targeted regulation and steps to support supply chains, such as the Heat Training Grant for installers and Heat Pump Manufacturing Investment Accelerator Competition. Further details are in Powering Up Britain (2023) and the Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021).

The Government's target remains to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 and it is putting in place an ambitious package of policies to achieve this.

From 2008 to the end of March 2023, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that 187,651 heat pump installations were registered. The number of heat pump installations in the 12 months to the end of March 2023 was 28,018. However, heat pumps installed without Government funding support and those in new buildings are not typically recorded in the database, with industry sources suggesting installations in new homes could make up a significant proportion of overall heat pump deployment.

An estimated 90 per cent of British homes have sufficient energy efficiency and electrical connections to be heated with a low temperature heat pump (operating with a flow temperature at 45°C). Other considerations, such as having sufficient space for the outdoor unit and compliance with planning requirements, must also be considered. For buildings that are not suitable for a low temperature heat pump, alternative low carbon heating technologies, including biomass and high temperature heat pumps (with flow temperatures above 45°C), are available. Government policy supports the installation of these technologies where appropriate.

The Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship is in development. It is anticipated that this apprenticeship will be ready for delivery by September 2023.

An alternative option for apprentices looking to enter the heating sector is the Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician apprenticeship. 3,780 individuals started this apprenticeship in the 2021/2022 academic year. 2,400 individuals started this apprenticeship in the first two quarters of the 2022/2023 academic year (August - January). Data regarding apprenticeships is published by the Department for Education.

In 2020, the Government published research that showed around 30 per cent of the heat pumps installed domestically were manufactured in the UK. This research did not consider the proportion of those heat pumps that contain microchips manufactured in China.

Industry data shows that manufacturers from several different countries supply electronic circuit boards and semiconductors to the UK consumer appliance market. The supply chain is not reliant on manufacturers from any one country.

The Government does not hold the above information for 2021 and 2022.

Interim performance data from the Government-funded Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project was published by the Energy Systems Catapult in March 2023 and is available to download from their website at https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/heat-pumps-shown-to-be-three-times-more-efficient-than-gas-boilers/.

The Government expects the final performance data to be published after the project concludes, in summer 2024.