Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans for Wales to be included within the remit of the Warm Homes Agency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We intend the Warm Homes Agency to support households across the UK, including in Wales.
We recognise Wales’s distinct devolution settlement and will respect devolved responsibilities. Our approach is to avoid duplication, build on arrangements that already work well and work collaboratively to ensure the Agency’s offer reflects local priorities and household needs.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate she has made of the total value of energy debt in each UK nation.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data regarding the total value of energy debt in the UK is held by Ofgem. Ofgem publish debt and arrears indicators on their website: Debt and arrears indicators | Ofgem. In 2026 Q2, the total financial value of domestic customer debt and arrears (existing for more than 91 days) was £5.02 billion for electric and gas. The Department has not made an assessment of the value of debt in each UK nation.
We are working closely with Ofgem to consider a range of options to reduce energy debt in the system and understand the impacts of different approaches on consumers.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring Ofgem to produce disaggregated energy debt data for each UK nation.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data regarding the total value of energy debt in the UK is held by Ofgem. Ofgem publish debt and arrears indicators on their website: Debt and arrears indicators | Ofgem. In 2026 Q2, the total financial value of domestic customer debt and arrears (existing for more than 91 days) was £5.02 billion for electric and gas. The Department has not made an assessment of the value of debt in each UK nation.
We are working closely with Ofgem to consider a range of options to reduce energy debt in the system and understand the impacts of different approaches on consumers.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of redress for households that received installations under the ECO4 scheme and were affected by the collapse of Consumer Energy Solutions in January 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the impact that the collapse of Consumer Energy Solutions may have had on households that received ECO4 measures.
Households affected by installation issues can seek support through TrustMark, which is responsible for overseeing the consumer protection process and coordinating with relevant assurance bodies, certification bodies and installers, as appropriate, to identify routes to investigation and resolution.
The Government's position remains that households should not be expected to bear the cost of rectifying non-compliant installation work through no fault of their own.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in the energy price cap from October 2026 on poverty in Wales.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As Fuel Poverty is a devolved issue, the Welsh Government is responsible for measuring fuel poverty in Wales. The Government recognises that any rise in the price cap will worry households in Wales and across Great Britain. Ofgem’s October 2026 cap has been limited by Government action, including removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, expected to reduce the cap by around £45 a year, alongside £150 of costs taken off bills earlier this year.
These measures particularly support poorer households, who spend a higher share of income on energy. Around 6 million eligible households across Great Britain will also receive the £150 Warm Home Discount every winter for the rest of the decade. The Government is also investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan to cut energy use, lower bills and improve homes, including in Wales.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration her Department gives to (a) the age of housing stock, (b) the proportion of off-grid properties and (c) average standing charges in Wales when designing energy support for households and businesses in Wales.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government considers the impacts of different housing types and consumer circumstances across Great Britain when designing energy support schemes.
Energy efficiency is largely devolved in Wales, and the Welsh Government is responsible for its own fuel poverty and home upgrade programmes, while the UK Government continues to engage closely with Welsh Ministers and officials on areas of shared interest.
UK-wide support available in Wales includes the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, where the grant level for off-gas gid homes by oil or LPG was recently increased to £9,000.
The Government is investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan and support is targeted towards households most at risk of fuel poverty, underpinned by the Fuel Poverty Strategy, which ensures extra funding goes to those on lower incomes and living in less energy-efficient homes.
Standing charges are regulated by Ofgem, which is responsible for decisions on their structure and level.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what elements of the Warm Homes Plan will be delivered in Wales by (a) Local authorities and (b) Welsh Government.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM) applies to the whole of the UK, as will round 2 of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition.
The Heat Network Efficiency scheme is open to public, private and third sector grant applicants in England and Wales, and the Heat Network Market Framework also applies in Wales.
New minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will help to lift households out of fuel poverty in England and Wales.
The Government has also been actively engaging with the Welsh Government on the Warm Homes Agency since Spring 2025. The Agency will only operate in Wales with agreement from the Welsh Government, and discussions to secure this agreement are ongoing.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many privately rented properties in Wales are eligible for the property‑value adjustment exemption set out in the consultation response entitled Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard of EPC C, or have a valid exemption registered, to be let. Government has committed to developing a property-value adjustment exemption for privately rented properties that are valued at less than £100,000. No properties are eligible for the property-value adjustment exemption until 1 October 2030.
Once the exemption is in place, private rented sector properties in Wales valued under £100,000 will be subject to a lower maximum spend requirement. Further guidance on exemptions will be published in due course.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to pages 37 and 38 of 'Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: impact assessment', for what reason there is no specific data for Wales.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The analysis in the impact assessment is produced using the Department’s National Buildings Model, which is based on the English Housing Survey and therefore covers England only. The results are scaled to reflect the number of dwellings in Wales, with Wales assumed to follow the overall average. Further details on the modelling approach and the National Buildings Model are set out in Annex B of the Impact Assessment.
The UK government has worked closely with the Welsh government to develop the policy.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
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 potential impact of the cost of energy standing charges on households in North Wales.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to bearing down on the cost of standing charges and continue to work closely with the independent regulator, Ofgem, on this issue.
As a result of action following the Autumn Budget, and shifting the recovery of the Warm Home Discount to unit rates, the average standing charge in the Price Cap from April to end June has come down by £13, and standing charges are lower now than in July 2024.
In addition, on 25 February Ofgem announced the launch of a one-year, lower standing charge tariff pilot with some major suppliers, from April 2026.
Through its Cost Allocation and Recovery Review, Ofgem has also been reviewing how fixed costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system. This includes whether those fixed costs could be recovered in more progressive ways.