Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
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 18 April 2024 to Question 21031 on Carbon Emissions: Suffolk Coastal, if her Department will provide a breakdown of funding granted through Energy Company Obligation Schemes to residents of Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The ECO scheme is not funded directly by government, rather it is funded by obligated energy suppliers who then recoup the cost from their domestic customers. Government does not hold data on the geographical distribution of ECO spending.
To end of December 2023 (the latest available data) ECO schemes have supported the installation of 2,668 measures in 2,069 homes in the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have participated in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in Suffolk Coastal constituency since January 2022.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened to applications in May 2022. Up to the end of February 2024, there were 106 grants paid for installations in properties in the constituency of Suffolk Coastal.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking with OFGEM to reduce daily standing charges for gas and electricity in Suffolk.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
In November, Ofgem announced a review into standing charges, exploring how it is applied to energy bills and potential alternatives. The review had now closed and Ofgem is currently analysing the input it has received. Ofgem will publish its response in due course.
The variance in standing charge is mainly due to regional differences in energy distribution costs. These costs reflect the expenses of maintaining a live supply in a specific area, and the number of consumers those costs are spread across.
On 30 March, I wrote to Ofgem, highlighting the importance of keeping standing charges as low as possible.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
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 help support low-income households to transition to net zero in Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government is allocating around £20 billion over this Parliament and next improving energy efficiency and low carbon heating of homes, reducing reliance on fossil fuel heating and reducing household energy bills for low income households in Suffolk Coastal constituency as well as other constituencies.
The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through Social Housing Decarbonisation, Home Upgrade Grant Schemes and Energy Company Obligation Schemes.
The Government has spent over £2 billion to support transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), focusing on reducing barriers to adopting ZEVs, including offsetting higher upfront cost, and accelerating rollout of chargepoint infrastructure.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time available for scrutiny of the Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy; and whether she plans to table a motion to refer that Strategy to a Delegated Legislation Committee.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Draft Strategy and Policy Statement for Energy Policy will be debated in a Delegated Legislation Committee tomorrow.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, (a) how many and (b) which companies applied to be part of an Offshore Coordination Support Scheme pilot.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Offshore Coordination Support Scheme initially received five applications, three of which were removed by developers at the Down-Selection Point where more than one application had been submitted for the same project. Following an in-depth Value for Money and eligibility assessment, the Government allocated funding to a consortium of North Falls Offshore Wind Farm, Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm and Sea Link (National Grid Electricity Transmission).
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is Ofgem's estimated cost of the Sealink HVDC project.
Answered by Graham Stuart
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) is developing proposals for Sea Link, a 2GW high voltage undersea electricity link between Suffolk and Kent. The project is forecast to cost NGET ~£1.1bn, as quantified by Ofgem in their ‘Decision on accelerating onshore electricity transmission investment’ paper published in December 2022. This cost estimate is based on a 2018/19 price base and is subject to final engineering design, commodity prices, landowner agreements and mitigation.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
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 15 January 2023 to Question 8973 on Wind Power: Bradwell-on-Sea, if she will direct National Grid to publish the study that informed its assessment of the suitability of Bradwell as a site for landfall and converter stations of offshore wind and interconnectors.
Answered by Graham Stuart
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) has published its assessment of the site’s suitability as part of the latest pre-consultation material for the Norwich to Tilbury project, which outlines its considerations around Bradwell as an unsuitable landfall or converter site. NGET are best placed to answer further questions.
Asked by: Thérèse Coffey (Conservative - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will direct National Grid to publish its assessment of the suitability of Bradwell as a site for landfall and converter stations of offshore wind and interconnectors.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Given the quasi-judicial role of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Secretary of State as the ultimate decision maker on nationally significant infrastructure, I cannot comment directly on specific projects. National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have assessed Bradwell as part of its considerations and found it unsuitable as a landfall or converter site for a number of reasons. NGET published its assessment of the site’s suitability as part of the latest pre-consultation material for the Norwich to Tilbury project.