Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofgem's compensation guidelines for consumers experiencing disruption or incurring fees as a result of service errors by energy suppliers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem’s Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOP) framework outlines the minimum levels of performance consumers can expect from suppliers, with automatic compensation provided if these standards are not met. The level of GSOP payments was recently increased in 2025 from £30 to £40 to account for inflation since the £30 payment level was set in 2015.
Ofgem is currently reviewing the GSOP framework to assess their adequacy in line with a wider consultation on consumer outcomes, launched on 23 June.
In addition, on 17 June 2026, the Government published its consultation response outlining measures that will be taken to strengthen the powers of the Energy Ombudsman to ensure consumers receive fairer and faster redress where they have not been able to resolve a dispute with their supplier.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Oral Statement of 21 May 2026 on Middle East: Economic Response, Official Report, columns 731-733 and Ofgem's press release entitled Energy price cap will rise by 13% from July, published on 27 May 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the level of support for fuel poor households.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for this Government. That is why we recently published a new fuel poverty strategy for England alongside the Warm Homes Plan.
With this new strategy, Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty.
We are also investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan – the biggest home upgrade plan in British history – to help lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.
The Government acted in the Autumn Budget to reduce electricity costs by scrapping the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and moving 75% of the domestic costs of the Renewables Obligation to the Exchequer.
In addition, the Warm Home Discount scheme will continue until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.
The rise in the price cap reconfirms the importance of the Government’s mission to get us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power we control.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support for fuel poor households.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for this Government. That is why the Government recently published a new fuel poverty strategy for England alongside the Warm Homes Plan, to ensure that many more fuel poor households are protected by 2030.
With this new strategy, Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty.
This strategy is accompanied by our £15 billion Warm Homes Plan – the biggest home upgrade plan in British history. The actions set out in this plan will reduce energy use, lower bills for millions of households, and help to lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 reduce annual energy costs and reduce fuel poverty.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
At the Autumn Budget, we committed to taking money off energy bills to tackle the cost of living. By scrapping the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme and moving 75% of the domestic costs of the Renewables Obligation to the Exchequer, we have been able to provide immediate savings for households that are factored into energy bills for the years to come.
The Government recently published a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for England. With this new strategy, the Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty.
This strategy is accompanied by our £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, with a £5 billion allocation to low-income households. This will roll out upgrades to up to 5 million homes that could save them hundreds on energy bills and help to lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of projected increases in the energy price cap on the number of households in fuel poverty in winter 2026/27.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling the cost-of-living is the government’s top priority. Decisions at last year’s Budget have taken £150 of costs off bills and this is now factored into bills for the years to come. The increase in the price cap announced by Ofgem on 27th May for the period from July to September is not what we wanted, and it is the effect of the war in Iran – just two days before the conflict the price cap fell by 7%. Without the action taken at Budget, the price cap from July to September, would be significantly higher. The government also expanded the Warm Home Discount last winter to support around 6 million of the most vulnerable households and is accelerating the Warm Homes Plan. Action has also been taken to help people who are reliant on heating oil. The outlook for prices remains uncertain but the government will do everything it can to help protect households in the face of this fossil fuel price spike and the Chancellor said she stands ready to act as we look towards the autumn and the winter
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 to reduce fuel poverty.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce electricity prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
At the Autumn Budget, we committed to taking money off energy bills to tackle the cost of living. The measures taken reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter. The two actions we took are (a) Removal of ECO home insulation scheme; and (b) Moving 75% of the domestic costs of the Renewables Obligation to the Exchequer from April 2026/27-28/29. These actions are designed to provide immediate savings for households, support the transition to clean energy, and ensure that future investments in the energy system are funded in a way that is fair and sustainable.
In addition, we will bring forward plans later this year to offer legacy low carbon generators, which provide about a third of our power today, the option of fixed price arrangements, with an intention to run an allocation process in 2027. This will be a voluntary decision for those generators. This will help protect families and businesses from higher bills when gas prices spike, with contracts offered only where they deliver clear value for money for consumers.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through our Clean Power 2030 mission, we are reducing dependency on volatile global fossil fuel markets and delivering a diverse, secure and clean energy system based on renewables and nuclear, backed by a supply of gas.
Our work to date - reforming the connections queue, taking a clear decision on REMA and publishing roadmaps for key technologies like Solar and Clean Flexibility - has given a clear signal to industry. And we have now delivered the most successful renewables auction in history, with AR7 securing a record-breaking 8.4 gigawatts of offshore wind, which will power the equivalent of around 12m homes.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration he has given to embedding independent architectural design expertise as a key pillar in developing retrofits funded through the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that good retrofit design is essential to high-quality home upgrades. The Warm Homes Plan takes a whole-house approach, supporting packages of measures including clean heat, solar, batteries and insulation, according to what is most appropriate and cost-effective for each property.
Product designers and installers will take architecture into account. The Government is also supporting improved skills, standards, and oversight across the sector to drive better outcomes for households and reduce bills.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress has been made towards the goal of delivering a 75% reduction in emissions from public sector buildings by 2037, compared to a 2017 baseline.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The goal of delivering a 75% reduction in emissions from public sector buildings by 2037 compared to a 2017 baseline was a target set by the previous Government.
Direct emissions from public sector buildings in the UK were 8.6 MtCO2e in 2017 and 8.8 MtCO2e in 2025 (provisional statistics).
Since 2020 the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has supported, and continues to support, over 1,400 projects to help public sector organisations decarbonise their estates, with funding allocated up until 2028.