Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how community energy organisations will be included in supporting the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government has allocated up to £5 billion to the new Warm Homes Fund (WHF) to make investments in and loans to the home upgrade sector. We will launch a Call for Evidence early in 2026 to identify where in the market the WHF can deliver the greatest impact, which could include supporting local energy cooperatives or community-led home upgrade schemes.
As part of our proposed partnership approach with local government for the delivery of home upgrades, community energy groups and other local stakeholders will play an important role in area-based delivery.
Additionally, the new Warm Homes Agency, which will be operational from 2027, will play a pivotal role in supporting local partnerships.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is the planned generating capacity of the Local Power Plan's target of supporting over 1,000 local and community projects by 2030.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in its Strategic Plan in December 2025, Great British Energy (GBE) has a 15GW clean energy target over the next 5 years.
This will allow GBE to unlock the potential of emerging technologies while supporting the continued build out of more established technologies, like solar, wind and hydro.
Backed by up to £1 billion, GBE has committed to support at least 1000 local and community energy projects by 2030. These projects will form an integral part of that overall ambition to deliver at least 15GW.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many community energy schemes in England are projected to make up the Local Power Plan's target of supporting over 1,000 local and community projects to 2030.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Backed by up to £1 billion, Great British Energy (GBE) has committed to support at least 1000 local and community energy projects by 2030. GBE will prioritise smaller projects across the country and the communities that benefit from them.
GBE will account for different levels of demand across regions when designing its funding offer.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the Local Power Plan funding will be directed to the GB Energy Community Fund.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the Local Power Plan funding will be made up of concessions loans.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how community energy organisations will be involved in the development of the Community Energy in a Box Toolkit.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In developing the Local Power Plan, DESNZ and Great British Energy (GBE) engaged with Local Government and the community energy sector. GBE will continue to use these existing forums and build their own relationships, such as through conferences, events, workshops.
GBE will produce a “community energy in a box” toolkit to support people – including those new to community energy – by providing guidance on awareness raising, project origination and project development support as well as standardised documents and templates.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the terms of the concessional loans to community energy organisations will be, as announced in the Local Power Plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is currently developing its schemes and projects for 2026/27 and beyond, which includes criteria for upcoming grants and loans.
GBE will set out further funding options in summer 2026.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made towards the publication of the Local Power Plan; and when he plans to publish that plan.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 10 February 2026, Great British Energy and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero published the Local Power Plan which sets out the UK’s largest ever public investment in locally owned clean energy.
Backed by up to £1 billion, the Local Power Plan aims to support more than 1,000 local and community energy projects by 2030.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made towards publishing the details of the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are working across Government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan to cut energy bills for good, we will publish more details soon.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made towards publishing the details of how funding will be allocated to different schemes under the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan to cut energy bills for good.
At almost £15 billion, the Warm Homes Plan is the single biggest public investment programme in energy efficiency in UK history. This includes £1.5 billion increased capital in this Budget to support driving forwards with home upgrades.