Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 upgrade homes to make them cheaper to heat in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government provides grant support for low‑income households worth £4.4 billion up to 2030 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, funding measures such as insulation, heat pumps, solar, and batteries.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is a universal grant offer of up to £7.500 for low carbon heating such as heat pumps, with a recent uplift to up to £9,000 for properties heated by oil or LPG in response to the Middle East situation.
We’ve also committed to offering new low-interest loans backed by an initial £2 billion of Government support, raising minimum standards in the rented sectors to ‘C’, and implementing the new Future Homes Standard to ensure new-build homes are fitted with solar, heat pumps, and high levels of insulation as standard.
These policies are part of the Government’s wider £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, which represents the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what artificial intelligence services or tools are used by their department; and whether the department has a contract with each provider of those services.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.
Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.
In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.
AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).
Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides access to a range of secure, enterprise-grade artificial intelligence tools that have been assessed and approved for official use. These include services provided through existing contractual arrangements with suppliers, including Microsoft 365 Copilot within the Department’s secure Microsoft environment.
All such tools are subject to appropriate security, data protection and assurance processes. The Department does not permit the use of unapproved consumer AI tools for official business unless they have been specifically assessed and authorised.
Contracts are in place with approved providers for the supply of these enterprise-grade services in line with government procurement and assurance frameworks.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the cost of energy bills in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No specific assessment has been made for Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Tackling affordability is this government’s number one priority, and we are taking action. Our decisions at last year’s Budget took an average of £150 of costs off of energy bills. Decisions are now factored into bills for the years to come and mean the rise in the energy price cap from 1st July is significantly lower than it would have been. In addition, the £150 Warm Home Discount has been expanded to cover around 6 million households across Great Britain.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 impact of the Iran War on heating oil costs for houses and businesses in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware of the exposure heating oil has to the short-term volatility in global oil prices, which we recognise it is a significant concern for those reliant on it.
This is why the Chancellor announced £53 million for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices, £27m is for England and is being delivered through the Crisis and Resilience Fund in England.
The Department has also worked closely with the Competition and Markets Authority to monitor profiteering or unfair practices.
The CMA has commenced an accelerated Heating Oil Market Study, and are looking into further consumer protections.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 adequacy of the availability of Government decarbonisation support for medium-sized community buildings that are not classified as public sector bodies.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Eligible community buildings can access support through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides grants of up to £7,500 towards the installation of low‑carbon heating systems.
Landlords and tenants in this sector can search for local grant and advice schemes via the Government’s finance and support for businesses pages at: https://www.gov.uk/business-finance-support. They can also access energy efficiency advice through the Government’s Business Energy Efficiency Campaign at: https://businessenergyefficiency.campaign.gov.uk/
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made to help improve the energy efficiency of homes in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The recently published Warm Homes Plan, backed by £15 billion, represents biggest investment in home upgrades ever. Households, including in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, will be able to benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can cut energy bills and improve energy efficiency.
The Warm Homes Plan makes an offer to every household, and we will reach up to 5 million homes by 2030, through direct support for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty, and innovative low-interest finance available to all. New energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will also lift around 650,000 households out of fuel poverty.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 help reduce annual increases in household energy bills in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling the affordability crisis is Government’s number one priority. Energy bills remain too high – that is why we are acting to bring bills down now and for the long term. At the last Budget, we took an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from this coming April. On top of this around six million households will receive the £150 Warm Home Discount, after we expanded the scheme for this winter.
In addition, the Government’s Warm Homes Plan is the biggest investment in home upgrades ever, with £15 billion of investment to cut energy bills, bring households out of fuel poverty, increase our energy security and make our homes warmer and more efficient. The £15 billion total includes £5 billion directed towards low income and fuel poor households, helping to lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to introduce targeted energy‑bill support for households with high energy consumption due to caring responsibilities.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country, that is why the Autumn Budget acted to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills. This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills provided for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty.
The Government is also driving forward with home upgrades, through the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 potential merits of joining Euroclusters.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Euroclusters initiative is an online hub funded by the EU and targeted at industry stakeholders across Europe and globally. There are currently 145 UK organisations in the Euroclusters directory. UK companies and cluster organisations are free to make their own assessments of the benefits of joining the platform.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 unpaid carers living in fuel poverty.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made no such estimate. The information requested is not held.
The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and recently published a new fuel poverty strategy for England outlining our plan to lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030.