Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to bring Part 8, Chapter 1 of the Energy Act 2023 into force.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department consulted on heat network consumer protection requirements in 2023 and will respond to the consultation shortly. Heat network regulation will be introduced in three phases:
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount Scheme to allow people without an Energy Performance Certificate for their home to be eligible for the scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Households without an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) can be eligible under the scheme. The Government reformed the scheme in England and Wales in 2022 to focus the support for low-income households living in properties with the highest heating costs, based on characteristics of the property. This data primarily comes from the Valuation Office Agency, which has complete data for almost all domestic properties.
If a household believes the information held on their property is inaccurate, they can ask that alternative information, in the form of an EPC, be used instead. In the very small minority of cases where there is incomplete data for a property, an EPC can be used to confirm eligibility, based on whether the property meets the high-cost-to-heat criteria.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
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 oral contribution of the Minister for Nuclear and Networks of 19 July 2023 on Planning and Solar Farms, Offical Report, column 344WH, for what reason solar farm clustering was not addressed in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects reforms action plan.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Hon. Friend the Minister for Nuclear and Networks replied to the Hon. Member on 5th September.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure (a) local authorities process Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding applications in a timely manner and (b) successful applicants receive one-off payments no later than six weeks after submitting their applications.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has worked closely with pilot local authorities in designing the scheme and developing guidance for all local authorities. To reduce the administrative burden on local authorities and the time taken to process an application, many of the eligibility checks are completed centrally by the Government before applications are passed through to local authorities for final checks. The time that applicants will wait to receive support will depend on the case complexity and the volume of applications received by the local authority. The Government is committed to ensuring that eligible applicants are provided support as soon as possible.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
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 households who are eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme but that are unable to secure the discount because they have a communal electricity supply.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government does not hold data on the number of people using communal electricity supplies. Households are only eligible for a rebate under the Warm Home Discount if they have an electricity account with a participating electricity supplier. Low income and vulnerable households not eligible for a rebate may be able to receive assistance via the Industry Initiatives element of the Warm Home Discount.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish details of successful bids to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes, on the pathway to Net Zero 2050.
The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition closed in November 2022, and successful projects are likely to be notified in March 2023.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
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 enable households who are eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme but have a communal electricity supply to secure the discount.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Rebates provided under the Warm Home Discount have always been provided to the electricity bill payers of participating energy suppliers so households with a community energy supply are not eligible. This makes the scheme efficient to deliver. Households who are ineligible via that route are able to benefit from assistance under the Industry Initiatives element of the Warm Home Discount.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will extend the Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme to all households with a communal electricity supply.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Rebates provided under the Warm Home Discount have always been provided to the electricity bill payers of participating energy suppliers so households with a community energy supply are not eligible. The Warm Home Discount Park Homes Scheme is run by Charis Grants and funded voluntarily by energy suppliers under the Industry Initiatives element of the Warm Home Discount. It is not a government scheme.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation on Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes published on 30 September 2020.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has carefully analysed the responses received to the consultation and is considering how to ensure the costs relating to energy efficiency improvement are fair and proportionate to landlords and tenants. The Government will publish a response in due course.