Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address fuel poverty in rural areas, bearing in mind that many rural households are not on the gas grid, in the winter of 2023 and 2024.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are supporting rural homes and homes off the gas grid through targeted energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Home Upgrade Grant. The Home Upgrade Grant delivers energy efficiency upgrades to low-income households living in the least energy efficient homes off the gas grid.
The Warm Home Discount scheme provides low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain, including rural areas, with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.
This year, low income or vulnerable rural households may also be in receipt of the £900 Cost of Living Payment which is being paid across three instalments.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the number and proportion of consumers whose energy is provided by a heat network who are in fuel poverty in (a) Norfolk and (b) the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government have not made an estimate of the number of fuel poor households whose energy is provided by a heat network.
Low income and fuel poor households on a heat network may be eligible for support schemes, such as the Warm Home Discount, and energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation.
Under the Energy Bill Discount Scheme heat suppliers face a legal obligation to pass support on to consumers. Heat network customers in Great Britain can contact the Energy Ombudsman if they are concerned that their operator is not meeting the requirements under the scheme. The Government further regulated heat networks via the Energy Bill.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 help prevent deaths attributable to living in cold homes.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government expect over 3 million households to benefit this winter from the Warm Home Discount, which provides low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.
The Government considers energy efficiency improvements to be the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions in line with net zero. Measures are available through several schemes including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, Great British Insulation Scheme and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). ECO4 runs from 2022-2026 at a value of £4billion.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 tackle fuel poverty in Battersea constituency.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Sustainable Warmth Strategy details its approach to tackling fuel poverty in England. The Government is currently reviewing this strategy.
The Government considers energy efficiency improvements to be the best way to tackle fuel poverty long term. Energy efficiency measures are available through schemes including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme. ECO4 runs from 2022-2026 at a value of £4billion.
The Government expect the Warm Home Discount scheme to provide over 3 million low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their energy bill this winter.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
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 tackle fuel poverty.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Sustainable Warmth Strategy details its approach to tackling fuel poverty in England. The Government is currently reviewing this strategy.
The Government considers energy efficiency improvements to be the best way to tackle fuel poverty long term. Energy efficiency measures are available through schemes including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme. ECO4 runs from 2022-2026 at a value of £4billion.
The Government expect the Warm Home Discount scheme to provide over 3 million low-income and vulnerable households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their energy bill this winter.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using green home support measures to address fuel poverty in off-grid homes.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The £2.5bn Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) delivers support to households in fuel poverty living off gas grid in England. Eligible measures are tailored to individual homes ensuring the most appropriate energy efficiency measures are installed. Phase 2 of HUG awarded £630 million to local authorities and delivery began in April 2023.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) also targets low income households, including those in rural areas and in England is intended to complement HUG.
As homes in rural and off gas areas are likely to be more expensive to upgrade, an incentivised uplift for Scotland and Wales was introduced under the latest phase of ECO.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
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 of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of fuel poverty in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the rising cost of living on levels of fuel poverty in each of those areas.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The latest official sub-regional statistics for 2021 (published 27th April 2023) indicate that there were 5,471 (12.8%) households in fuel poverty in Enfield North constituency, and 17,591 (13.8%) in the London Borough of Enfield. The latest official statistics for 2022 (published 28th February 2023) show 471,000 (13.2%) fuel poor households in London. The Government has not made any further assessment of trends in fuel poverty in these areas.
Energy efficiency is the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term. Financial support is also important and is available through established schemes including the Warm Home Discount.
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 he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of fuel poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rising cost of living on levels of fuel poverty in each of those areas.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has not made a recent assessment of trends in fuel poverty in these areas. The latest official sub-regional statistics for 2021 (published 27th April 2023) show the number of households in fuel poverty in Coventry North East Constituency was 11,400 (23.3%) and Coventry local authority was 28,525 (20.8). The latest official statistics for 2022 (published 28th February 2023) show for the West Midlands administrative area 489,000 (19.2%) and England 3,257,000 households (13.4%).
Energy efficiency is the best way to tackle fuel poverty and the Government are delivering measures to fuel poor households and provided significant financial support last winter and further support is available for 2023-24.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
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 retrofit homes at risk of fuel poverty.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty. There are multiple targeted energy efficiency schemes in place delivering measures to low income and fuel poor households. Schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG).
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households identified as being in fuel poverty under the Low Income Low Energy efficiency indicator who are ineligible for the Warm Homes Discount.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Warm Home Discount scheme is a key policy that provides rebates to low-income and vulnerable households. The Government expanded the scheme in England and Wales to support around 3 million households and reformed the scheme to focus the support to households likely to be facing the most severe fuel poverty. Based on the fuel poverty statistics published in February 2023, the Government estimates that 2.3 million fuel poor households in England in 2022 were not eligible. This includes those who are fuel poor under the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency indicator but who do not claim means-tested benefits and are therefore not eligible under the scheme.
The Government has provided extensive help through other schemes and payments. By the end of June this year, the Government will have covered nearly half a typical household’s energy bill through the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme since October, with a typical household saving around £1,500.
Fuel poverty statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)