Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero press release entitled “Families set to save money through new and upgraded heat networks”, published on 23 September 2026, what metrics will be used to evaluate whether the investment in upgrading heat networks has delivered value for money.

Value for money and impact evaluations of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme are ongoing. These will assess whether investment in upgrading heat networks has delivered expected benefits relative to costs. Key metrics will include improvements in network efficiency, reduced cost of heat, reduced customer bills, carbon emissions savings and reliability and service quality improvements. These benefits will be compared against programme and project costs using cost-benefit analysis metrics such as Net Present Social Value (NPSV) and Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). The evaluations will also consider additionality, delivery effectiveness and the extent to which observed outcomes align with those anticipated in the programme business case.