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Written Question
Hospices: Wales
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of energy support for hospices (a) now and (b) from April 2023; and whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the impact of the increase in energy bills on hospices in Wales.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that eligible hospices are protected from excessively high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible hospices. Both energy schemes apply across all of the United Kingdom, including Wales. The Government will continue to engage with devolved administrations in its design and implementation plans for the new scheme.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Environment Protection
Tuesday 24th January 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Federation of Small Businesses’ proposal to introduce Help to green vouchers for small businesses.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government keeps energy efficiency support for businesses, including SMEs, under review. Existing initiatives include an exemption on business rates for green technology, providing small businesses grants under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and support under the £289million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

The Government is reviewing what additional levers can be introduced to help small businesses to be more energy efficient, including financial support such as those suggested by the Federation of Small Businesses. As part of this, in the Autumn Statement my Rt Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that Government will establish a new Energy Efficiency Taskforce to help achieve the Government's target to reduce energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030.


Written Question
Utilities: Telephone Services
Friday 20th January 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring energy companies to provide freephone customer helplines; and whether he (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with energy companies on the provision of freephone customer helplines.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Domestic customers should be able to access their energy supplier’s telephone customer services easily and without high call charges by offering freephone or low-cost geographic numbers. The decision to provide a freephone number is a commercial matter for individual companies and there are no plans to discuss this matter. Energy suppliers who have signed up to Energy UK’s Vulnerability Commitment must have a freephone number for consumers who are in debt. Some also have a designated freephone line for prepayment meter and Priority Service customers.


Written Question
Batteries: Lithium
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has taken recent steps to help (a) reduce the insurance premium for lithium-ion battery energy storage systems and (b) encourage development of fast and reliable methods of fire prevention in battery energy storage systems.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Lithium-ion batteries must comply with the relevant product safety legislation. OPSS is carrying out a programme of activities to understand better the specific safety risks these products present. Users are encouraged to follow available guidance, including from Electrical Safety First and the London Fire Brigade, and the manufacturer’s instructions on safe use, including safe charging. Insurance premiums are a matter for industry.

The Government is also working with the industry-led Storage Health and Safety Governance Group to support the development of a product and installation standard (known as a “Publicly Available Standard”) for domestic/small-scale battery storage and developing guidance for grid-scale storage.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the performance of the ongoing migration of first generation smart meters to second generation smart meters.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

First generation (SMETS1) smart meters are being remotely moved onto the national smart metering communications network, run by the Data Communications Company (DCC), so that consumers regain smart services and keep them if they switch energy supplier in the future. Second generation smart (SMETS2) meters are connected to the national network from the point of installation.

BEIS does not hold data on the average time households wait for a smart meter to be migrated. However, the vast majority of SMETS1 meters – which had previously lost smart services – have now been connected to the national communications network. Industry is continuing work at pace to enrol remaining “active” SMETS1 meters, that are connected to energy suppliers’ own communications systems and continue to provide smart services.

The Government continues to work closely with the DCC and energy suppliers to monitor and drive progress.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Thursday 22nd December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the average time households wait for a first-generation smart meter be migrated to a second-generation smart meter.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

First generation (SMETS1) smart meters are being remotely moved onto the national smart metering communications network, run by the Data Communications Company (DCC), so that consumers regain smart services and keep them if they switch energy supplier in the future. Second generation smart (SMETS2) meters are connected to the national network from the point of installation.

BEIS does not hold data on the average time households wait for a smart meter to be migrated. However, the vast majority of SMETS1 meters – which had previously lost smart services – have now been connected to the national communications network. Industry is continuing work at pace to enrol remaining “active” SMETS1 meters, that are connected to energy suppliers’ own communications systems and continue to provide smart services.

The Government continues to work closely with the DCC and energy suppliers to monitor and drive progress.


Written Question
Alternative Fuel Payments: Park Homes
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to park home residents who will receive their Energy Bills Support Scheme via the Alternative Fund allowance, whether those residents will have to apply for that payment or whether it will be disbursed automatically; what delivery mechanisms his Department will use to disburse that payment, including the option of payments being made via local councils; and when those residents will receive that payment.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is working to finalise the details of the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter. Eligibility, timescales and method of delivery of will be announced shortly.


Written Question
Energy Bill Relief Scheme
Tuesday 20th December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring energy companies to pay the rest of the amount due under the Energy Bills Support Scheme in cash value rather than via credits on people's electricity accounts in cases where the value of a customer’s direct debit is less than the value of the EBSS payment.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Energy suppliers are delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) to households in Great Britain with a domestic electricity contract in six monthly instalments to help reduce bills over the winter period. If a customer does build up a surplus in their account, they can contact their supplier to request a refund of that credit. Delivering EBSS is a complex and unique task which is delivering help to millions of households each month and the Government does not plan to amend the agreed process.


Written Question
Alternative Fuel Payments
Friday 2nd December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when households eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment will receive the £200 as a credit on their electricity bill; and whether this will be delivered as a lump-sum.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Alternative Fuel Payment scheme will provide a one-off payment to eligible UK (GB and NI) households.

Households eligible for these payments in Great Britain will receive £200 as a credit on their electricity bill this winter. The details of when this payment will be made will be confirmed shortly. The Government is committed to delivering this support to customers as fast as possible.


Written Question
Alternative Fuel Payments
Friday 2nd December 2022

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when households which will be eligible for the Alternative Fuel Payment but will not receive the payment automatically because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier will be able to make an online application.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Eligible households will receive the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) this Winter.

Further details on when households that do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier can apply for the AFP will be confirmed shortly.