Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the creation of a locally-based network of energy efficiency centres to offer advice on (a) energy efficiency to the public and (b) the generation of renewable energy by small businesses, schools, charities and households.

Local action by communities, by local businesses and by local authorities has a significant role to play in raising awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency. We have and continue to support local organisations and groups not only to provide advice but also to lead action on these issues locally.

This Government is committed to empowering communities and these projects, which put local people in the driving seat, are an important part of a clean, secure and affordable energy system. BEIS provides the Energy Saving Advice Service covering England and Wales. In 2016, over 15,000 callers were referred to local authority energy efficiency schemes or initiatives.

Since 2013, the UK Government has committed over £16m to support community energy, including the Rural Community Energy Fund which continues to offer support and feasibility and development finance for community-scale renewable energy projects in England. The generation of renewable energy by small businesses, schools, charities and households also remains eligible for payments through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme.

This Government sees local energy, of which community energy is a key part, as an important part of a wider local energy ecosystem; with cities, municipalities and local partners driving this agenda. As such we have already committed funding to identify and overcome local barriers to delivery in the short term while we understand the contribution and importance of this sector to the delivery of both the Industrial Strategy and the Clean Growth Strategy.