Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the enforcement powers of the Energy Ombudsman.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem, the independent regulator, is responsible for compliance and enforcement of license conditions.
As an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, the Energy Ombudsman does not have the enforcement powers of Ofgem does. The Energy Ombudsman can however tell suppliers to take practical action, make an apology, offer financial awards up to £10,000, and make recommendations to prevent an issue from happening again. Energy suppliers are legally bound to implement decisions made by the Ombudsman.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on an application to OFGEM by Green Gen Cymru for a license to operate as an Independent Distribution Network Operator.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network regulation, including the ability to grant Distribution Network Operator licenses, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent energy regulator. As such, the government does not comment on Ofgem’s decision making on licence applications.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with OFGEM on the licence application by Green Gen Cymru to operate as an Independent Distribution Network Operator.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network regulation, including the ability to grant Distribution Network Operator licenses, is a matter for Ofgem as the independent energy regulator. As such, the government does not comment on Ofgem’s decision making on licence applications.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with Ofgem to ensure that heat pump installation companies under the Energy Company Obligation scheme provide (a) a suitable service for customers to assist with problems and (b) provide advice on the optimal use of the new heating system.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All installations under the Energy Company Obligation scheme must be carried out by a TrustMark registered business. Installations of low carbon measures, such as heat pumps, must be carried out in accordance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) requirements.
TrustMark’s Customer Charter sets out the responsibilities of any TrustMark registered installer which includes the registered business ensuring there is a proper testing and hand-over process to ensure the customer knows how installations work and should be maintained.
Ofgem has set out a route to redress for any issues arising from measures installed under the scheme, which can be found at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/eco4-complaints-process.