Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the sunset clause for the Energy Saving Materials VAT relief on 31 March 2027, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment on the potential effect on Net Zero targets if the relief reverts to 5% in 2027; and if she will consider extending the zero-rate period to help provide long-term certainty for the low-carbon heating industry.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels and batteries. This will be vital to making the UK more energy resilient and meeting our 2050 Net Zero commitment.
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent.
The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, What the £1.5 billion transition fund announced for the period between ECO and its successor scheme will cover; and when guidance for businesses on accessing this funding will be published.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The £1.5 billion extra funding allocated to the Warm Homes Plan at the Budget will be spent on low-income households. This takes the total capital investment in the Warm Homes Plan to £15 billion – the largest ever public investment in home upgrades.
This comes on top of the measures announced at the Budget, which took an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from April 2026.
From 2025-28, funding for low-income home upgrades will be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and the Warm Homes: Local Grant as previously announced, to help millions of households benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can save a typical household £550 a year compared to a gas boiler – reducing our exposure to the volatile international fossil fuel markets which have driven the cost-of-living crisis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of work for companies delivering insulation, heating upgrades, and other energy‑efficiency measures during the transition from the Energy Company Obligation to the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the effect on employment in the home‑insulation and retrofit sector of the decision to end the Energy Company Obligation scheme before publishing details of its replacement.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking through the tax system to support pensioners with the cost of living in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension will remain the foundation of retirement income and, in line with the government’s commitment to the Triple Lock for the duration of this parliament, over 12 million pensioners benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, worth up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26, when those on the full new State Pension received a £360 boost.
The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for single pensioners and from £346.60 to £363.25 for couples, protecting the poorest pensioners.
Pensioners also benefit from free eye tests, NHS prescriptions and bus passes, and some may qualify for means‑tested benefits such as Housing Benefit and Cold Weather Payments.
To help with ongoing cost of living pressures, the government will remove around £150 on average of household energy bills across Great Britain from April 2026 and the government is expanding the Warm Home Discount to an additional 2.7 million households, meaning around 6 million low-income households will receive £150 support with their energy bills.
Through our Warm Homes Plan we are supporting insulation and low carbon heating, upgrading millions of homes this Parliament. At the recent Budget we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty, on top of the £13.2 billion announced at Spending Review 2025.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer redress available to homeowners where installers of loft spray foam insulation have ceased trading.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For installations under DESNZ schemes, consumers are entitled to remediation where work has not been up to standard even when an installer has ceased trading. Homeowners should claim through their guarantee where this is the case. However, we understand most spray foam loft insulation has been installed outside of our schemes where the protection available depends on what was agreed at the time between the homeowner and the installer.
Poor-quality installations are the result of years of a failed system, and this government is committed to introducing new reforms to drive up quality and protect consumers through the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of homeowners who installed loft spray foam insulation during the period in which it was eligible under Government-backed energy efficiency schemes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Schemes run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero do not have a list of eligible products but require that assessments are made and designs produced for properties individually, with the most appropriate measures installed to the required standard.
Official statistics of government schemes are collected by measure rather than product. Under the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme there were 6,217 pitched roof loft insulation measures installed. As of August 2025, ECO 4 had installed 1,698, and GBIS 130. Spray foam is not the only product used for this measure, so the precise number will be lower.
Official statistics for the schemes can be found here: GHG Vouchers: Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant statistics - GOV.UK
ECO: Household Energy Efficiency Statistics - GOV.UK
GBIS: Great British Insulation Scheme - GOV.UK
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to introduce national compensation for homeowners adversely affected by loft spray foam insulation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For installations under DESNZ schemes, consumers are entitled to remediation where work has not been up to standard even when an installer has ceased trading. Homeowners should claim through their guarantee where this is the case. However, we understand most spray foam loft insulation has been installed outside of our schemes where the protection available depends on what was agreed at the time between the homeowner and the installer.
Poor-quality installations are the result of years of a failed system, and this government is committed to introducing new reforms to drive up quality and protect consumers through the Warm Homes Plan.
Asked by: Warinder Juss (Labour - Wolverhampton West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections in place for homeowners affected by spray foam insulation.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For installations under DESNZ schemes consumers are entitled to remediation where work has not been up to standard, however we understand most spray foam loft insulation has been installed outside of our schemes where the protection available depends on what was agreed at the time between the homeowner and the installer.
Poor-quality installations are the result of years of a failed system, and this government is committed to introducing new reforms to drive up quality and protect consumers through the Warm Homes Plan.
Faulty work is completely unacceptable. This is why we have taken it so seriously as a department and are working to address the issues that have arisen. Consumers have a right to expect that work is done properly.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to make changes to the (a) accreditation, (b) certification and (c) guarantee regime of (i) installers and (ii) retrofit coordinators working under (A) ECO4, (B) future Warm Homes Plan programmes and (C) other Government-funded retrofit schemes to prevent (1) rogue and (2) negligent firms participating.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is reviewing the system of consumer protection and oversight for home retrofit installations that improve energy efficiency and decarbonise homes. This work is looking at the entire landscape: from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. More information will be shared in the forthcoming Warm Homes Plan.
The government is planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.