Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 13758, on Green Deal Scheme, what his Department's timeframe is for processing all outstanding Green Deal complaints.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government aims to complete all Green Deal complaints as soon as possible, taking into account the requirements of the Green Deal Framework Regulations. It is not possible to provide a timeframe on completion due to the variance in individual cases and required stages within the complaints handling process.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Green Deal cases have received a decision since his Department received the preliminary outcome of a lead appeal earlier in 2022 which allowed his Department to re-commence issue of intention and final sanction notices.
Answered by Greg Hands
Under the Green Deal Framework Regulations, where eligible complaints are referred to the Secretary of State for consideration, he is required to first issue an intention notice before a sanction is imposed. Since re-starting this process, the Department has issued 15 intention notices and 14 final decisions in respect of complaints about mis-selling of Green Deal Plans.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of the availability of the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Answered by Greg Hands
In the 2021/22 scheme year, all low-income pensioners who are potentially eligible for a rebate under the Warm Home Discount Core Group will have received a letter from the Government by mid-December 2021. Most will receive the rebate automatically; in 2020/21, around 95% of Core Group recipients received their rebates automatically. In addition, the Warm Home Discount website is widely signposted and used by consumer groups, charities, and energy comparison websites to maximise uptake.
Energy suppliers are responsible for administering their Broader Group rebates, including setting their eligibility criteria and providing the rebates to eligible households. Suppliers make their customers aware of the scheme and are usually over-subscribed with applications.
Last summer, the Government consulted on extending, expanding, and reforming the scheme such that from winter 2022/23 the vast majority of all Warm Home Discount rebates would be provided automatically.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2021 to Question 56668, on Green Deal Scheme: Appeals, how many Green Deal appeal cases are due to be processed as at 1 February 2022.
Answered by Greg Hands
As of 1 February 2022, there are 421 live Green Deal complaint cases referred to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2022 to Question 96947, on Energy Supply: Fife, what discussions he has had with energy companies on (a) the levels of debt accrued by customers in Glenrothes and Central Fife during the first and second covid-19 lockdowns and (b) the plans those companies have to collect that debt.
Answered by Greg Hands
Ministers and officials regularly met energy companies during the first and second covid-19 lockdowns to discuss a range of issues relating to the energy retail market. The Government’s Voluntary Agreement with energy suppliers prioritises customers at risk and supports those impacted by covid-19. Based on circumstances, this could include reassessing, reducing or pausing debt repayments for households in financial distress and support for prepayment meter customers to stay on supply. The Agreement was introduced in March 2020 and is still in place today.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with energy companies on the levels of debt accrued by customers in Glenrothes and Central Fife during the first and second covid-19 lockdowns and the plans those companies have to collect this debt.
Answered by Greg Hands
Ofgem collects information from energy companies on average debt levels which can be sourced here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-data-and-research/data-portal/all-available-charts?keyword=debt&sort=relevance.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
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 the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 57139 on Post Offices; how many of the applications to the Post Office's Historical Shortfall Scheme have been refused an award by the scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent business. Decisions on making awards under the Historical Shortfall Scheme are for the Post Office to make.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
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 the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 57139 on Post Offices; how many of the applications to the Post Office's Historical Shortfall Scheme have had an award paid from the scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent business. Decisions on making awards under the Historical Shortfall Scheme are for the Post Office to make.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
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 the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 57139 on Post Offices; how many of the applications to the Post Office's Historical Shortfall Scheme have been processed.
Answered by Paul Scully
While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent business. Decisions on making awards under the Historical Shortfall Scheme are for the Post Office to make.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
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 the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 57139 on Post Offices; how many applications were made to the Post Office's Historical Shortfall Scheme, which was open from May 2020 to November 2020.
Answered by Paul Scully
While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent business. Decisions on making awards under the Historical Shortfall Scheme are for the Post Office to make.