Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to publish a call for evidence on fairness and affordability.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are committed to tacking fuel poverty and we are reviewing the Fuel Poverty Strategy to reflect the challenges faced by households after the COVID-19 pandemic and energy price rises.
We have been working with Ofgem to ensure consumers are protected, including new rules on involuntary pre-payment meter installations. Alongside this, the Government is committed to supporting those most in need with up to £900 in further cost-of-living payments this winter alongside established financial support such as the £150 Warm Home Discount.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of electricity levies on the uptake of (a) heat pumps and (b) other low carbon heating.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Heat pumps are a widely suitable and cost-effective way to decarbonise heating in our homes. They can already be cheaper to run than a fossil fuel system, particularly where consumers have a sufficiently insulated home and heating systems are designed to operate at the lowest possible flow temperature. Nevertheless, the Government recognises that addressing current distortions in electricity and gas prices is important to make it easier for consumers to switch to low-carbon heating. The Government accepted a recommendation in the 2022 Independent Review of Net Zero to make significant progress on rebalancing of gas and electricity prices by the end of 2024.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 13 of her Department's consultation response, Review of electricity market arrangements: summary of responses, published on 7 March 2023, what progress she has made on next steps.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), first announced in April 2022, is a major review into Britain’s electricity market design that will enhance energy security and help to deliver the UK's world-leading climate targets, whilst ensuring a fair deal for consumers.
The Government plans to publish a second consultation in early 2024, which will consider a narrower range of options for reform and set out a clear direction of travel for how Great Britain's electricity market arrangements will need to evolve in future.
Alongside this consultation, the Government plans to publish an Options Assessment which provides details regarding the analytical frameworks and bespoke analysis that have been produced to support the policy development process.