Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Government's Fuel Poverty Consultation document of July 2014, if he will review his policy so that the off grid gas sector will be eligible for supporting measures such as the upgrading of old oil fired boilers.

Supporting off-grid households is an important principle in our approach to tackling fuel poverty. In England, the use of a new indicator – the fuel poverty gap – has highlighted the particular circumstances such households can face.

We are making a number of changes to policies to ensure increased levels of support to such households. For example, we have made changes to the operation of ECO to create incentives for energy suppliers to deliver more measures in these non-gas fuelled homes, including oil fired boilers replacements. While fuel poverty is a devolved issue, ECO operates across Great Britain, and these changes could have an impact in Scotland.

Furthermore, at Autumn Statement 2014, the Government announced new funding in England to support off-grid households (with Barnett consequentials).