Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the revised target for the phasing out of fossil fuel boilers in off-grid homes will apply to Wales.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In September 2023, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced the Government will push back the end date for installing oil, LPG and coal heating systems in England to 2035. As this is a devolved policy, it is for the Welsh Government to consider steps to decarbonise off gas grid homes in Wales.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 potential impact of replacing electric central heating with heat pumps on levels of (a) fuel poverty and (b) carbon emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government considers the impact of policies on fuel poor households, including those households that replace their electric heating with heat pumps.
Heat pumps are around three times more efficient than direct electric heating, implying a two-thirds reduction in electricity consumption. The impact on carbon emissions will depend on the carbon intensity of the grid. Under current assumptions the Government estimates 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction over the lifetime of the heat pump for a typical home that was heated by direct electric heating.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number of smart meters that have been installed but cannot connect to the network in each Local Authority in Wales.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department published data on the proportion of operational smart meters by local authority across Great Britain, in its Q1 2023 statistics report. This can be accessed at www.gov.uk by searching for ‘Smart meter statistics March 2023’.
Ninety one percent of the 32.4 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses are operating as intended. We do not hold data on the number of non-operational meters or T3 aerial installations by local authority.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many requests have been (a) made and (b) denied for T3 aerial to enable the installation of smart meters in properties in each Local Authority in Wales.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department published data on the proportion of operational smart meters by local authority across Great Britain, in its Q1 2023 statistics report. This can be accessed at www.gov.uk by searching for ‘Smart meter statistics March 2023’.
Ninety one percent of the 32.4 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses are operating as intended. We do not hold data on the number of non-operational meters or T3 aerial installations by local authority.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of households in each Welsh Local Authority had smart meters installed on 1 July 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department published data on the proportion of operational smart meters by local authority across Great Britain, in its Q1 2023 statistics report. This can be accessed at www.gov.uk by searching for ‘Smart meter statistics March 2023’.
Ninety one percent of the 32.4 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses are operating as intended. We do not hold data on the number of non-operational meters or T3 aerial installations by local authority.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 take steps to ensure that the prices charged by operators of electric vehicle charging stations reflect changes to the wholesale price of electricity.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to working with industry to keep costs down and deliver fair electric vehicle charging prices while also ensuring the financial health and attractiveness to investors of the sector . As part of this work, we are introducing regulations to improve the consumer experience across the public charging network. To ensure pricing transparency, these regulations will mandate use of a common pricing metric, allowing consumers to compare prices in a single format.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of accelerating work on local energy governance and planning arrangements to deliver investment to the energy grid where it is most needed.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the potential benefits of enabling more local energy planning to support efficient and strategic investment in the electricity distribution network. We are working closely with Ofgem to consider this in more detail as part of their ongoing governance review into local energy institutions and its proposals on regional energy system planning.
Whilst we recognise the potential opportunities around local energy plans, it is vital that any approach endorsed by government is considered carefully to ensure it is deliverable, cost-effective and aligned with wider policy.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with network operators on resolving connections queues at the distribution level.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department is engaging with Ofgem and network companies to reduce connection timescales for all connection types and scales. As part of this, the Energy Networks Association and Electricity System Operator are taking action to improve the connection process for the distribution and transmission networks respectively, and Ofgem published an open letter on future reform to connections in May.
I also recently co-chaired, with Ofgem, a roundtable discussion with network companies and industry stakeholders on accelerating connections. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the adequacy and equity of arrangements for managing grid connections to enable both large-scale renewable generation projects and (a) micro-generation, (b) low carbon housing developments and (c) other distribution-level projects to be connected.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department is engaging with Ofgem and network companies to reduce connection timescales for all connection types and scales. As part of this, the Energy Networks Association and Electricity System Operator are taking action to improve the connection process for the distribution and transmission networks respectively, and Ofgem published an open letter on future reform to connections in May.
I also recently co-chaired, with Ofgem, a roundtable discussion with network companies and industry stakeholders on accelerating connections. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential role of (a) heat pumps, (b) EV charging points, (c) solar PV and (d) other low carbon technologies in offsetting the energy demand of new housing developments on the grid.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Analysis from the Government’s Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan (2021) suggests that use of flexibility from low carbon technologies such as smart charging of electric vehicles and flexible heating systems could play a significant role in reducing peak demand.
The Building Regulations will continue to set a performance-based standard rather than mandating or banning the use of any technologies. We expect heat pumps will become the primary heating technology for new homes under the Future Homes Standard. In the 2021 uplift we set the performance standards for new buildings at a level that means most new homes are likely to be built with solar panels.