Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 potential changes in the level of the average annual cost of electricity for people leaving the Radio Teleswitch Service.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem has consulted on plans to ensure that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to provide an energy tariff that leaves all their customers ‘no worse off’ than before once their RTS meter is replaced. Ofgem will make further announcements on this in due course.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what her planned timetable is for the switch off of the Radio Teleswitch Service in each Welsh local authority area.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) signal will be switched off in carefully targeted local areas, where suppliers are ready to respond quickly in case of any issues, starting from 30 June.
Industry’s phase out plan will be flexible and subject to change, and therefore will not be published, as suppliers must demonstrate to Ofgem and Government that they are sufficiently prepared before they can proceed. Households will be contacted by their energy suppliers through multiple methods of communication to inform them well ahead of time of any phase out activity in their area. Ofgem will also contact local authorities to inform them of planned activity in their area in advance of any switch off.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 radio teleswitch service meters in use in (a) Wales, (b) Gwynedd and (c) Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Most recent figures provided to the Department from Ofgem indicates that as of 2nd May there were c.9,500 RTS meters remaining in Wales.
Ofgem does not collect constituency level data on RTS meters from suppliers.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has he made of the accuracy of the list of RTS Switch off Identified Properties for properties in Gwynedd which have storage heaters as their primary source of heating.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department is not aware of a list of RTS properties that separately identifies premises with and without storage heaters.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 will take to support households unable to access Energy Company Obligation 4 before its expiration on 31 March 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Eligibility for the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) does not guarantee assistance, the Department cannot direct who receives support. ECO4 and GBIS have already supported an estimated 292,490 households to February 2025, with around 9,000 homes per month in the last quarter. We are committed to meeting fuel poverty and Net Zero targets, and we are currently considering what policy mix will best achieve that, including what role energy company obligations should play post-2026.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 merits of delaying the Radio Teleswitch Service switch off.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The industry-led Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reaching the end of its operational life and can no longer be adequately maintained.
The switch-off will start from the end of June, and the Government and Ofgem have called on suppliers to rapidly increase the pace of RTS replacements, so that there is a smooth transition and consumers are protected. We continue to closely monitor progress.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of households on Economy 7 tariffs in Gwynedd impacted by the Radio Teleswitch service switch off.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not receive information from energy suppliers on the number of households on specific tariffs, such as Economy 7.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
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 data on Smarter Meter Switch off Identified Properties on the number of properties in Gwynedd with storage heaters as their primary source of heating.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Smart meters, and the communication services that support smart metering, will not be switched off.
The Department does not receive information from energy suppliers about the number of households with storage heaters.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many low-income households have (a) applied and (b) received vouchers for measures under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from qualifying rural postcodes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers grants to help property owners transition away from fossil fuels to low carbon heating. However, other schemes such as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, Warm Homes: Local Grant and Energy Company Obligation are more targeted towards low-income households.
The Government and Ofgem do not collect income statistics as part of directly administering the BUS, however, socio-economic factors are studied as part of the scheme evaluation, with an interim report due to be published next year.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to help tackle rural fuel poverty under the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. The transition to warmer, decarbonised homes, will include support for the most vulnerable to help tackle fuel poverty. We will set out further details on the Warm Homes Plan in due course.
We are currently supporting rural homes and homes off the gas grid through targeted energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Home Upgrade Grant, which are aimed at low income and vulnerable consumers.