Correspondence Apr. 24 2024
Committee: Energy Security and Net Zero CommitteeFound: Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance
Feb. 15 2024
Source Page: Fuel poverty factsheet 2024Found: Fuel poverty factsheet 2024
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to people living in the (a) South Lanarkshire, (b) North Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk Council area to change to low-carbon heating systems.
Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights
The Scottish Government has a broad range of delivery programmes which make advice and funding support on energy efficiency and low carbon heating available to households and businesses across Scotland. The Home Energy Scotland (HES) and Business Energy Scotland (BES) advice services offer free, bespoke, impartial advice, and also act as the gateway to our flagship fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland, and to other Scottish Government funding schemes such as the HES Grant and Loan and the SME Loan and Cashback.
Scotland’s Heat Network Fund (SHNF) supports the construction of new zero direct emission heat networks and communal heating systems, as well as the expansion and decarbonisation of existing heat networks across Scotland.
Registered Social Landlords are encouraged to make use of available funding sources for retrofit, which includes the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. This fund supports both the deployment of clean heating and ”fabric first” enhancements, helping landlords deliver warmer and more energy efficient homes.
Communities and local council areas are also supported through Area Based Schemes (ABS), delivered by all local authorities in Scotland, which target fuel poor areas to provide energy efficiency measures to a large number of Scottish households and help reduce fuel poverty, and the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) which provides advice and funding to communities across Scotland looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people living in fuel poverty in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, (c) the North West and (d) England; and what steps she is taking to help tackle fuel poverty.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The latest official Fuel Poverty Statistics for England were published in February 2023 on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics#2022-Statistics
The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty at administrative levels in England, are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2022
Updated statistics on fuel poverty in England and its regions will be published on 15 February 2024.
The Government sees energy efficiency as a key way to tackle fuel poverty and measures are delivered through targeted schemes including the Energy Company Obligation.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that disabled people with higher energy usage are not in fuel poverty.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is providing £104 billion, including the Disability Cost of Living Payment, to support households with the cost of living. The government also expanded the Warm Home Discount, which we estimated would support 160,000 more households where a person has a disability or long-term illness. This has helped prevent a significant rise in fuel poverty, including for households living with disabilities.
We see energy efficiency improvements as the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term. Disabled people living in low-income households may be eligible for support through schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation.
The review of the Fuel Poverty Strategy will assess the vulnerability principle and whether any amendments are needed, including for households where an occupant has a disability.
Feb. 21 2024
Source Page: Scottish Government response to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel recommendations - September 2023Found: Scottish Government response to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel recommendations - September
Written Evidence Feb. 08 2024
Inquiry: Energy bills for domestic customersFound: ENB0034 - Energy bills for domestic customers Wondrwall Written Evidence
Dec. 01 2023
Source Page: Energy Efficiency Taskforce: correspondence between CFP and Taskforce chairFound: Energy Efficiency Taskforce: correspondence between CFP and Taskforce chair
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made on the impact of rising energy prices on the number of households in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce fuel poverty levels in those areas.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Energy prices have fallen significantly since the winter of 2022-23. The Quarter 2 2024 price cap of £1,690 has fallen by nearly 60% since the Quarter 1 2023 price cap peak. Despite this fall in prices, we have been supporting millions of vulnerable and low income households through the £900 cost-of-living payments, alongside established financial support including the £150 Warm Home Discount.
There are also multiple targeted energy efficiency schemes in place delivering measures to low income and fuel poor households.
We are currently reviewing the 2021 fuel poverty strategy for England ‘Sustainable Warmth’.
Sub-regional fuel poverty estimates for 2022 will be published on 25th April 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) help support fuel poor homes to have an EPC rating of C or higher by 2030 and (b) incentivise landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, in the context of the Government's commitment to scrap policies to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties as outlined in the press notice entitled PM recommits UK to Net Zero by 2050 and pledges a “fairer” path to achieving target to ease the financial burden on British families, published on 20 September 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We see energy efficiency as the best way to tackle fuel poverty, contributing to the long-term reduction of energy bills and carbon emissions in line with Net Zero.
Multiple targeted schemes are in place to deliver measures to fuel poor households including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). The government is also reviewing the fuel poverty strategy.
We are spending £6bn this Parliament and a further £6bn to 2028 on making buildings, including private rented properties, cleaner and warmer. That is in addition to the estimated £5bn that will be delivered through ECO4 and the GB Insulation Scheme up to March 2026.