Report May. 01 2024
Committee: International Development Committee (Department: Department for International Development)Found: zero are undermining the UK’s claim to be a reliable international partner to SIDS—the countries likely
May. 01 2024
Source Page: £1.8 million boost for innovation to decarbonise freightFound: The Freight Innovation Fund Year 3 follows £200 million to roll out hundreds of zero-emission trucks
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on taking steps to ensure that energy companies use reputable contractors to meet their obligations under the ECO4 scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Installations under ECO4 must be carried out by TrustMark registered and Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified businesses, in accordance with PAS 2035. This ensures work is carried out by an installer who has demonstrated an appropriate level of skill and competence and minimises the risk of unintended consequences.
As the only Government endorsed quality scheme, TrustMark registered businesses are thoroughly vetted for technical competence, customer service, and good trading practices. TrustMark registered businesses must also provide an appropriate guarantee and be signed up to a dispute resolution process.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of homes that have an electricity smart meter.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Quarterly statistics on the rollout of smart meters in Great Britain, covering both gas and electricity smart meters installed, are available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics.
This includes information about the number and proportion of electricity smart meters.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
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 is taking to improve EPC rating metrics to more accurately assess low-carbon heating systems.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As highlighted in the Powering up Britain document, the government is currently working on proposals for improving Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) metrics and intends to consult on these in the coming months. The proposals will consider the recommendations from the Independent Review of Net Zero and the 2023 Climate Change Committee report, including that new EPC metrics account for wider benefits from low-carbon heating. The government also has a continuing programme of user research to improve the way in which information is presented on EPCs.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he has taken to help ensure that (a) energy companies and (b) network operators can contact consumers on the Energy Priority Services Register during a power cut once the public switched telephone network switchover is complete.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem rules require all energy suppliers and network operators to provide and maintain a Priority Service Register, which is a free support service available to people in vulnerable situations. Wherever possible, PSR customers should receive advanced notice of scheduled power cuts and given priority support in emergencies, and nominee schemes so that friends and family can be contacted and act on behalf of the householder.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 23316, whether energy charges by suppliers to consumers include debt servicing.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The setting of tariffs is a commercial matter for each energy supplier. However, in setting the level of the Default Tariff Cap Ofgem include an allowance for servicing consumer debt. This allowance is intended to enable suppliers to recover reasonable costs incurred for servicing consumer debt and ensure that suppliers can offer consumers an appropriate level of support in managing their debts, whilst ensuring the retail energy market remains resilient.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Appendix 2 of the Contracts for Difference AR6 Allocation Framework 2024, Appendix 2 of the Contracts for Difference AR5 Allocation Framework 2023 and Appendix 2 of the Contracts for Difference AR4 Allocation Framework 2021, what methodology her Department used to calculate the market reference prices for the years 2026-27 to 2030-31; and for what reason it has been set lower than previous Contracts for Difference Allocation Rounds.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the accompanying note to the Budget Notice[1], the reference prices we use for the CfD budget are an output from the Department’s main power model and are characteristic of decarbonisation pathways that are net-zero consistent. Wholesale electricity prices are driven by many factors including electricity demand profiles, the plants that generate to meet this demand, as well as fuel price assumptions and carbon price assumptions. Changes in reference prices between rounds depend on the assumptions used in power modelling and the delivery years for each allocation round.
[1] The accompanying note to the Budget Notice can be found here:
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, with reference to the press release dated 15 April 2024 issued by the company Framatome, entitled Framatome has signed contracts worth multi-billion euros for Sizewell C in the UK, what the monetary value is of the contracts referred to; and for what reason the contracts were signed in advance of a final investment decision for the construction of a new nuclear power station at Sizewell.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Agreeing contracts with major suppliers like Framatome means that the Sizewell C project can agree pricing and confirm manufacturing slots within the supply chain. This will help maintain the project’s schedule and manage overall costs, supporting Sizewell C’s value for money.
The value of these contracts is commercially sensitive, and the timing of payments under these contracts will be subject to Notices to Proceed that will be issued by Sizewell C Limited.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the number of households that have received compensation for having had a pre-payment meter fitted against their will.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Suppliers have so far carried out 150,000 assessments to make sure those impacted get the compensation they deserve. Of these cases, around 2,500 customers were identified as needing compensation - and around 60% of those have received it, with payments planned for another 1,000 customers. We expect suppliers to work and day and night to issue these remaining payments - there is no excuse for delay. While this is a matter for Ofgem, I have spoken to Ofgem about their responsibilities and the need for suppliers to speed up payments. I will continue to monitor this very closely.