Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what processes were in place to verify that accredited installers participating in government heat pump schemes held the required seven-year Insurance Backed Guarantee cover; how many installers were found to have inadequate cover; and what steps his Department is taking to help resolve cases where consumers have been left without recourse due to installer insolvency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government requires installers participating in government heat pump schemes to be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
MCS has required installers to provide a minimum of two years’ cover through Insurance Backed Guarantees, increasing to six years under the reformed MCS.
MCS holds information on installer insurance and checks are carried out to ensure that installers hold appropriate cover.
The Government is closely monitoring the implementation of MCS’ scheme reforms, which will include measures to support consumers even if installers are no longer trading.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what inspection regime was in place for verifying the quality and compliance of heat pump installations funded under the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme; how many installations were physically inspected; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that future government-funded installations are subject to independent on-site verification.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Installers participating in government clean heat schemes, including the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (DRHI) and Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme (GHGVS), must be Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified. MCS is responsible for setting and upholding technical standards for small scale renewable technologies, and accredited installers are subject to annual audits and site‑based assessments.
Annually for the DRHI, approximately 400 randomly selected, and up to 250 risk-based site audits occur.
GHGVS installers required suitable TrustMark qualifications. TrustMark conducts site audits, but the department does not hold statistics on this.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many consumers who received heat pump installations under the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme have been left without redress following installer insolvency; and what support his Department provides to consumers in such circumstances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The department does not collect this data.
For the DRHI installers were required to be members of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)and a Chartered Trading Standards Institute approved Consumer Code, which provided routes for complaints handling and alternative dispute resolution. Access to redress in cases of installer insolvency depends on individual circumstances.
For the GHGVS consumers were required to seek advice from a suitably qualified TrustMark registered installer before they applied for a voucher. Consumers are entitled to remediation by their installer or, failing that, the insurance-backed guarantee, or using the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek redress
The department’s role is limited to signposting consumers to appropriate sources of support, such as the Consumer Code, MCS or independent advice services.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of funding in the consolidated low income household energy efficiency scheme will be allocated to (a) private sector homes and (b) social housing properties.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion targeted investment for home upgrades for low-income and fuel poor households. This will initially be delivered via the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), which support social housing tenants and low-income homeowners respectively. The WH:SHF has been allocated up to an extra £295 million for 2026/27, in addition to the £1.3billion previously committed. £500 million has been allocated for the WH:LG.
From 2027/28 onwards the Government intends to integrate these schemes into a single low-income capital scheme, shifting towards area-based delivery. The Government will say more about the evolution of our low-income schemes in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding within the consolidated low income household energy efficiency scheme will be ringfenced for community level low carbon heat technologies, including (a) Shared Ground Loops and (b) heat networks.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion targeted investment for home upgrades for low-income and fuel poor households. As part of this offer, from 2027/28 the Government intends to integrate the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant into a single low-income capital scheme, which will shift toward area-based delivery. The Government will say more about the evolution of our low-income schemes this Spring, including the scope of funded technologies.
In addition to any forthcoming funding from these schemes the Government is investing £1.1bn in low-carbon heat networks over this Parliament, and accelerating their rollout through Heat Network Zoning. We have also taken action to strengthen consumer protection through appointing Ofgem as the Heat Network regulator.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to customers whose energy efficiency improvement works were due to begin under the ECO4 scheme but are unable to proceed before the scheme ends.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that some households may be unable to proceed with planned works before ECO4 ends. Support for eligible households will continue through the Warm Homes Plan, including £1.5 billion of additional low‑income grant for funding energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating, to be delivered via the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant schemes. Further details on scheme eligibility and delivery will be provided in Spring 2026.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to publish the outcome of the review of surplus sharing in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I am meeting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees next month to discuss future surplus sharing arrangements. The outcome will be published once agreement is reached.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 contribution of tidal stream technologies to his Department's clean energy targets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan acknowledges that whilst emerging renewable technologies, such as tidal stream, are expected to play a limited role in the 2030 energy mix, our ability to deploy at scale could be important to the U K ’s achievement of longer-term decarbonisation objectives.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps is he taking to ensure that charging meters in residential blocks that have been incorrectly classified as commercial are reclassified.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Electricity meters serving a premises used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling should be classified as domestic. If a person believes a meter has been incorrectly classified as commercial, they should raise it with the electricity supplier serving the premises, via the landlord if the contract with the supplier is with the landlord. Suppliers are obligated by Ofgem’s supply licence conditions to maintain accurate meter classifications.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 formalise alternative routes to smart export guarantee eligibility for renewable energy installations that are not certified under the microgeneration certification scheme.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Smart Export Guarantee eligibility criteria are set out in legislation. This requires that an installation and installer are certified through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or a scheme accredited as equivalent. There are no plans to review this requirement.
While such certification is required to access the SEG, suppliers may choose to and, in many cases, do offer export tariffs outside the SEG arrangements.