Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 ensure a just transition to a renewable energy based economy.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is actively coordinating its efforts to ensure a just transition, enabling workers to benefit from the economic opportunities arising from our shift to net zero. To support this, it has established the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, which aims to assist workers and communities at risk of economic displacement by focusing on skill development and training in the clean energy and net zero sectors. The Government’s primary goal is to create quality jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands, ensuring a fair transition for industries based in the North Sea.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to secure further International Climate Finance commitments from member states at COP29.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is committed to restoring the UK’s global leadership on climate and nature. We are honouring the existing commitment on our pledge to spend £11.6bn in International Climate Finance between April 2021 and March 2026 including at least £3bn on nature, from which £1.5bn will be dedicated to protecting and restoring forests. In doing so, we can encourage member states at COP29 to follow our example. Public finance will continue to be key, but we cannot act alone. A concerted and sustained global effort to boost finance from all sources is necessary.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 (a) effectiveness and (b) costs of geothermal energy.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We know that to achieve net zero, we must look at how we can accelerate the potential of all low carbon technologies including geothermal. The Government understands that geothermal can play a role in our decarbonisation ambitions particularly as a low carbon source for heat via heat networks. We have commissioned research into the potential costs of geothermal heat in the UK and will use this to understand how the government can support the sector to achieve its potential.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 merits of reopening applications to the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding closed to new applications on 31 May, and the department does not plan to re-open the scheme. There was a limited extension until 16 June, allowing corporate appointees with business bank accounts to apply on behalf of the eligible households they represent. The government believes that the 3-month time window provided sufficient time for eligible households to apply for their £400 support.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department made an equality impact assessment before (a) determining the period of time that applications would be open and (b) deciding when to publish the deadline for making applications on the GOV.UK portal for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department conducted a Public Sector Equality Duty assessment before the scheme launched, and this document is regularly updated. Officials also conducted an assessment for the length of the scheme, concluding that 3 months would provide suitable time for eligible households to apply, whilst lowering the risk of overpayments because of individuals moving during the scheme. The 31st May deadline was communicated by the Department in the 27th February press notice and to key stakeholder groups who represented eligible applicants, and was added to the GOV.UK portal in May for further clarity.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of eligible households applied for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding before 31 May 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The latest application figures for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding were published on 11 May as of 3 May on the GOV.UK website - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.
The next set of figures will be published in June which will include application figures for the scheme up to 31 May 2023.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 increase awareness of the deadline for the EBSS Alternative Funding.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department has communicated the schemes using a variety of methods, including Press Notices, social media, and digital resources. Government understands many EBSS Alternative Fund applicants are hard-to-reach through mainstream channels and has engaged with key stakeholder organisations who have filtered down scheme information encouraging eligible households to apply. With awareness that park home residents make up a large proportion of applicants, Government has also requested local authorities write to all park home sites in their area, further spreading information on the schemes, especially to residents without online access.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 heat network customers who are eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund and were incorrectly informed by his Department that they were ineligible because they had received £400 in support through their electricity supplier.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department has estimated that there are approximately 31,000 UK households who are part of a heat network who are eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. The Government do not have any figures for the number of these households who were incorrectly informed that they were ineligible for the scheme. Application numbers for the scheme were released on 11th May and can be located here:
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 number and proportion of households that are (a) eligible for and (b) have not submitted an application to the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Department has estimated there are around 900,000 households who are eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Figures on the number of households who have applied for the EBSS AF were published on 11th May and can be found here:
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 17 April to Question 176758 on District Heating, if he will publish the source of the data used to estimate the annualised heating bills of heat networks customers.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The response to Question 176758 made an assessment of estimated heating bills for a comparable heat network customer and domestic gas customer. The estimated annualised heating bills for a heat network customer used the data sources detailed below.
Data source | Comments on publication |
Quarterly Energy Pricesstatistical publication. Average non-domestic gas prices paid (March 2022 to September 2022) | Currently published ( https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-energy-prices) |
Average non-domestic gas prices paid by Energy Bill Relief Scheme recipients, Winter 2022 | Not published due to commercial sensitivity. |
Impact of Energy Bill Relief Scheme on non-domestic gas contract prices | Currently published ( https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers) |
Heat network gas price under Energy Bills Discount Scheme | Currently published ( https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bills-discount-scheme-heat-networks-support) |
Historic Ofgem domestic gas price cap | Currently published. Separate time periods published on separate web pages. ( https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/default-tariff-cap) |