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 is taking to help ensure that home gas suppliers charge reasonable renewal prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Domestic energy consumers are protected by the energy price cap set by Ofgem, which limits the unit rates and standing charges that can be charged by energy suppliers, including limits on the profit that energy suppliers can make from default tariffs.
From 1 April until the end of June, the price cap has fallen by 7% or £117 to £1,641 per year for an average dual fuel customer paying by Direct Debit. The price cap for that period is fixed and will not change.
You can find more information on the impact of Government action here:
Your energy bill from April: what’s changing - GOV.UK.
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, whether a fraud risk assessment was carried out during the design of the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud. The Government requires robust counter‑fraud controls to be built into the design and delivery of all energy efficiency and clean heat schemes, in line with cross‑government standards and Public Sector Fraud Authority guidance. Future scheme design and delivery will take into account lessons learned from previous iterations of HMG schemes.
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, with reference to the Policy Paper published on 11 February 2026 entitled Local Power Plan, when the route to market for unlocking SLES will be operational.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department recognises requests to take steps to better enable local energy markets and trading to lower bills and increase the resilience of the electricity networks. The Department is investigating barriers to local supply and is working with Ofgem, Great British Energy and relevant stakeholders to find solutions that work in the best interests of local generators and consumers.
The Department is also actively exploring policy options that will unlock Smart Local Energy Systems, including working with Innovate UK, local government and communities to develop opportunities for place‑based approaches.
Ofgem and Elexon’s work on code modifications, like P441, will help more community energy groups identify and understand the different routes to market in order to sell their energy. Industry feedback informed the Draft Modification Report considered by the Panel on the 12 March leading to the Final Modification Report submitted to Ofgem on the 17 March.
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 refer the issue of fraud within ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme to the Serious Fraud Office as recommended by the Public Account Committee report on Faulty Energy Efficiency Installations, published on 23 January 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department will be responding to the Public Accounts Committee via Treasury Minute as is the standard process.
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, when his Department plans to respond in full to the Public Account Committee report on Faulty Energy Efficiency Installations, published on 23 January 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department will be responding to the Public Accounts Committee via Treasury Minute as is the standard process.
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 his Department will publish an annual report on (a) its retrofit schemes, (b) their level of compliance, (c) estimated fraud and (d) their effectiveness.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department will publish monitoring statistics and evaluation of policies announced in the Warm Homes Plan. DESNZ currently publishes statistics covering the uptake and impacts of energy efficiency measures on GOV.UK.
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, with reference to page 88 of the Department's policy paper entitled Warm Homes Plan, published on 21 January 2026, when he plans to publish the consultation on (a) options for bringing the oversight of energy efficiency and microgeneration installations for government schemes under closer control and (b) the role of the Warm Homes Agency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, we will consult this year on options for bringing the oversight of energy efficiency and microgeneration installations for government schemes under closer government control and the role of the Warm Homes Agency.
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 release annual reports estimating the level of fraud and non‑compliance in retrofit schemes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We have received similar recommendations from both the NAO and the PAC. We are considering these reports and the recommendations and will be responding to these in full 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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a social energy tariff.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government understands the need to target support to those who need it most. That is why on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills every winter until 2030/31. This means that millions of households every year who need support with their energy bills will receive the Warm Home Discount for the rest of the decade.
We also committed to exploring additional improvements to the scheme. While we consider options for future bill support, we are working across Government to improve access to and sharing of data to target support more effectively in the future. Specifically, the ‘Kickstarter’ programme under the National Data Library will test how public sector data can be better joined up to improve access to government programmes.
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 recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of energy support for (a) ill and (b) other vulnerable people.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government understands the need to target support to those who need it most. That is why on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills every winter until 2030/31. This means that millions of households every year who need support with their energy bills will receive the Warm Home Discount for the rest of the decade.
We also committed to exploring additional improvements to the scheme. While we consider options for future bill support, we are working across Government to improve access to and sharing of data to target support more effectively in the future. Specifically, the ‘Kickstarter’ programme under the National Data Library will test how public sector data can be better joined up to improve access to government programmes.