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 Alternative Fuels Payment applications remain to be processed for applicants (a) in North Shropshire (b) in Shropshire and (c) nationally as of 17 July 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:
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.
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 and what proportion of eligible households have received an Alternative Fuel Payment in (a) North Shropshire, (b) Shropshire and (c) the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:
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.
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 and what percentage of eligible households (a) in North Shropshire, (b) in Shropshire and (c) nationally applied for Alternative Fuel Payments.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:
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.
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 and what percentage of applications to the Alternative Fuels Payment scheme were processed within six weeks.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The most recent published data for applications for the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) Scheme in Great Britain can be found here:
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.
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 estimate of the number of installations of clean heat technologies there have been in social housing in the period since the closure of the domestic renewable heat incentive.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
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 his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the installation of clean heat technologies in social housing.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
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 his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support businesses with energy costs.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
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.
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 estimate of (a) the proportion of heat pumps installed in the UK that have been manufactured in the UK in each of (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2022 and (b) in each case, the proportion that contain microchips manufactured in China.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
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 estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of homes that are not suited to heat pump installation; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) provide heating alternatives to those homes to improve their energy efficiency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
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 Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship places there (a) were in 2022 and (b) are in 2023.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.