Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will have discussions with liquid gas supplier companies on customer payment processes.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Secretary of State and I meet regularly with a range of stakeholders.
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a price cap for heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s assessment is that the introduction of a price cap for heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.
The structures of the heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas markets are different from those of gas and electricity supply. Imposing a price cap, which might fall below wholesale costs faced by heating fuel distributors, risks companies exiting the market or not accepting orders when they would make a loss on their fulfilment.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support residents of off-grid homes with the cost of heating.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us harness clean energy, reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, and enable us to meet our target to be a clean energy superpower by 2030.
In the short-term, we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. I am also having regular discussions with energy suppliers to ensure that consumers are supported this winter.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce the Clean Heat Market Mechanism.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government will confirm plans with respect to the Clean Heat Market Mechanism in due course and will bring forward legislation as appropriate and when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of the Alternative Fuels Payment, in the context of trends in the level of costs for alternative fuels.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Alternative Fuels Payment (AFP) delivered £200 to around 2 million households last winter to support them with their energy costs. Since last winter, energy costs have fallen including the wholesale price of alternative fuels, and there are no plans to re-open the AFP. However, the Government is committed to supporting those most in need, with millions of vulnerable households receiving up to £900 in further cost-of-living payments this winter, with £300 to pensioner households and £150 to those on eligible disability benefits.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 ensure that alternative fuel payments are received by all eligible consumers not connected to the electricity grid.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) delivered £200 to around 2 million households last winter to support them with their alternative fuel costs, with 85% receiving this automatically. A small proportion of households who did not have a relationship to a domestic electricity supplier needed to apply for their support through the AFP Alternative Fund, which launched on 6 March 2023 and closed on 31 May 2023.
I recommend that any household who was not able to access this support, visit the ‘Help for Households’ on webpage on GOV.UK to see what other support they may be able to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of ECO 4 installations undertaken in (a) the UK and (b) North Shropshire constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many ECO 4 installations were undertaken in (a) the UK and (b) North Shropshire constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she is taking steps to encourage more people to take up the Warm Home Discount Scheme during winter 2023-24.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
We are currently writing to around 4.5 million households, informing people that either they will receive the discount automatically or, in some cases, advising them to call the helpline with further information to check eligibility.
We are also working with consumer agencies, energy suppliers and other organisations to ensure accurate scheme information and to help them to raise awareness and advise their clients appropriately where they might benefit.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 issued guidance to park home residents on what steps to take when the cost of insulating their homes exceeds the £15,000 price cap under phase two of the Home Upgrade Grant.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department has not issued guidance as part of the Home Upgrade Grant to park home residents on steps to take when the cost of insulating their homes exceeds the £15,000 price cap. The Department has however issued guidance to Local Authorities (LAs) on what steps to take when the cost of insulating park homes exceeds the £15,000 cost cap which is an average across the stock being upgraded. LAs can build funding ‘headroom’ on park homes which do not require as much funding, due to fewer or less expensive measures. LAs are therefore able to spend more than £15,000 on individual park homes where they have built up the headroom to do so.