Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2024 to Question 52063 on a pump watch petrol price comparison platform, what recent progress he has made on implementing a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, which provide the statutory footing for the Fuel Finder scheme, came into force on 18 December 2025. Registration to Fuel Finder has now launched for all petrol stations across the UK. Price reporting obligations for retailers will commence on 2 February and will require all petrol stations in the UK to report their prices within 30 minutes of a change.
Motorists will begin to see the benefits of Fuel Finder later this year as near‑real‑time price data is made available to consumer app and navigational service providers.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2024 to Question 52063 on a pump watch petrol price comparison platform, if he will implement a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, which provide the statutory footing for the Fuel Finder scheme, came into force on 18 December 2025. Registration to Fuel Finder has now launched for all petrol stations across the UK. Price reporting obligations for retailers will commence on 2 February and will require all petrol stations in the UK to report their prices within 30 minutes of a change.
Motorists will begin to see the benefits of Fuel Finder later this year as near‑real‑time price data is made available to consumer app and navigational service providers.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department plans to publish the results of the Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) scheme: indexation changes consultation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The consultation closed on 12 December. A government response to the consultation on indexation changes to the Feed-in Tariffs scheme is expected to be published in early 2026.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 to support people with oil heated homes in Devon.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For most oil-heated homes transitioning to clean heat will include installing a heat pump. Grants of £7,500 are available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). As hydronic heat pumps may not be suitable for every property, BUS supports biomass boilers in rural homes with a £5,000 grants and we will offer £2,500 grants to support air-to-air heat pumps from 2026.
Government has recently published a consultation exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions. The consultation opened on 18 November and will run for 12 weeks.
Finally, we are undertaking research to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes and expect to receive results early next year.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to support people suffering with a terminal illness with their energy bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country. That is why I am proud that the recent Autumn Budget acts to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills.
This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills that we are providing for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty.
The Government has been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support. They can also visit the GOV.UK website, where extra cost-of-living support can be found - www.gov.uk/cost-of-living.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the National Grid is under a (a) statutory and (b) regulatory obligation to process solar panel installation applications within a specified timeframe.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For solar installations of 3.68kW per phase, or below, no application is required. The Distribution Network Operator (DNO) must only be notified within 30 days of the installation. For larger projects, DNOs are required to provide a connection offer within 45-65 working days, depending on the size of the installation. Customers are entitled to compensation should these deadlines be missed.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 potential impact of delays in (a) processing applications for solar panel installations and (b) issuing Distributor Network Operator reference numbers on household finances.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No estimate has been made.
Most domestic solar installations (<3.68kW) can be made under G98 regulations, whereby no application is required – the installer must merely notify the DNO within 28 days of commissioning. Households can benefit from bill savings immediately.
We are aware of some delays in customers’ receiving the Meter Point Administration Number required to sell electricity under the Smart Export Guarantee. The Government keeps this issue under review.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 take steps to help ensure that administrative delays in the processing of solar panel installation applications do not reduce levels of public confidence in renewable generation.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is pleased that public support for renewable energy, including solar, remains very high.
We continue to monitor the experiences of those seeking to install rooftop solar panels. We are aware that, in some cases, customers have been affected by delayed connections or procedural inefficiencies.
Ofgem are undertaking an end-to-end review of connections, to ensure that customers connecting to the grid receive a high standard of service. DESNZ liaises closely with stakeholders on these matters, and keeps policy under constant review.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what data his Department holds on the average time taken by the National Grid to (a) process applications for solar panel installations and (b) issue Distributor Network Operator reference numbers in each of the last three years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold the data requested.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring tariff payments for electricity exported to the grid from solar panels to be backdated to the commissioning date of the installation, rather than the date of Distributor Network Operator approval.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Backdating payments made under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) to an installation’s commissioning date is not permitted, as exports cannot be accurately measured until an export Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) is in place. An MPAN can only be issued once the District Network Operator (DNO) has approved an installation, confirming it meets adequate technical and safety standards.
This process ensures electricity exports are correctly settled and attributed while safeguarding both the installation and the network.