Securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation.
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero does not have Bills currently before Parliament
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
The Government recognises the need for strong, home-grown clean energy supply chains to support sustainable jobs and secure growth as we decarbonise our economy.
As part of the Industrial Strategy, the Government is developing plans, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review, for each of the key growth sectors, which include Clean Energy technologies.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will provide the powers to accelerate the infrastructure needed to deliver on the Government’s ambitions. The Government published a working paper [1] on the proposals on the 26th January 2025 and more detail will be available in due course.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will provide the powers to accelerate the infrastructure needed to deliver on the Government’s ambitions. The Government published a working paper [1] on the proposals on the 26th January 2025 and more detail will be available in due course.
The suitability of any site for a data centre depends on a number of factors including grid capacity, state of grid infrastructure and availability of data connectivity. Future AI Growth Zones will be selected taking into account these factors.
Data centres are normally connected to the transmission and distribution grid rather than off-grid connection as this gives them resilience to planned and forced outages of an individual power source. Consequently, my Department has not made any assessment of off-grid infrastructure requirements.
The Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C) work to identify lessons after all large energy incidents to ensure continuous improvement to the network. Network operators have completed a significant number of improvements to the resilience of Great Britain’s electricity network which means the electricity system is in a much better place to mitigate power disruption during extreme weather events such as those seen during Storm Darragh and Storm Eowyn.
The biodiversity duty, set out in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 as amended by section 102 of the Environment Act 2021 applies to public authorities. As Great British Energy is being established as a non-departmental public body, the company will be required to comply with the biodiversity duty.
Under the environmental principles duty set out in the Environment Act 2021, ministers and policy makers must consider the environmental principles when making policy. Ministers and Officials working on the establishment of Great British Energy (GBE) have considered the potential environmental impacts of establishing the company. GBE’s projects will also be subject to relevant environmental regulation as with any similar projects.
Hydroelectric power accounts for 2% of the UK’s electricity generation. A majority of hydroelectric output is generated in Scotland.
In 2023, annual figures show that:
3% of hydroelectricity was generated in England*
7% of hydroelectricity was generated in Wales*
90% of hydroelectricity was generated in Scotland*
Latest data available on hydroelectric generation is available via the DESNZ publication, Energy Trends December 2024, Table ET 6.1: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6762b0d6cdb5e64b69e30735/ET_6.1_DEC_24.xlsx. This table shows annual generation (latest data 2023) of hydroelectricity in GWh, by country, on which the above information is based.
*Rounded to the nearest hundred.
There are over 6,000 disused coal tips in Britain with 2,573 located in Wales. The majority of tips are in local authority or private ownership which includes legal responsibilities. The Welsh Government has published coal tips data and details of their work programme to address the tips issue including inspections/maintenance https://www.gov.wales/coal-tip-safety
There is no central tips record in England or Scotland as the geological makeup of tip locations in those areas, and previous reprofiling/restoration, has left a lower risk profile.
The majority of tips are in local authority or private ownership and the responsibility for managing the associated monitoring and resilience work is a matter for the landowner and local authority.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring coal tip safety and just how much this issue resonates with local communities, particularly in the South Wales valleys, that is why the Government announced funding of £25m in 25/26 to the Welsh Government in the Budget, for making coal tips safe.
The Government gave the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) statutory information gathering powers which commenced on 1 January 2025 so that it can monitor and scrutinise petrol and diesel prices. The CMA will be able to assess how well competition is working in the road fuel market and advise government if further actions are needed to protect consumers.
The Government has also committed to implement Fuel Finder to increase price transparency, so consumers can compare prices to find the best deal and incentivise greater competition. Subject to legislation and parliamentary timings, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero looks forward to meeting the new US Energy Secretary to discuss our shared values and interests across a full range of energy issues.
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, AI datacentres are a potential new consumer of nuclear power. We see the potential benefits of nuclear-powered datacentres and are considering how to unlock this potential.
Regulatory processes involve multiple steps to demonstrate the nuclear power plant will be safe, secure and can manage its waste, non-proliferation, and environmental obligations. There are multiple variables that drive timelines and costs.
The Department undertakes regular modelling on future energy scenarios, including on demand changes driven by new technology and plans for generating assets. This forms part of the considerations on the wider AI sector.
Ofgem is currently trialling applications of AI, though it is currently in the early stages of exploring the benefits, risks and appropriateness of AI. Ofgem adheres to the Government AI Principles.
Trials initiated in the last 12 months include:
The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change, which is why at COP29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels.
This target is ambitious and is estimated to reduce emissions by more than 60% between 2019 and 2035, aligning with the reductions in the IPCC’s global pathways which limit warming to 1.5°C with low or no overshoot.
Last week, this Government took a step further and was amongst the first few countries in the world to formally submit its 2035 NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
By submitting our 2035 early, the UK is championing mitigation ambition and will be leading by example to encourage and support other countries to come forward with their own ambitious target ahead of COP30.
The UK is the first major economy to halve its emissions, having cut them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023, while also growing its economy by around 80%. We have also over-achieved against the first, second and third carbon budgets. We will deliver an updated cross-economy plan in due course, to outline the policies needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6 on our pathway to net zero by 2050.
The Government provides significant support to climate start-ups, including through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The Government will set out its full approach to seizing the growth opportunities from clean energy industries in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.
We are working with stakeholders, including local authorities, on how GBE could support local and community energy.
The UK will work closely with Scottish Government on this matter as part of the Vision Statement signed in October which committed to exploring joint working on community energy.
The Government is committed to making energy affordable for everyone, including non-domestic consumers. The best way to safeguard against spikes in bills is to speed up our transition towards clean power. In the short-term we will strengthen the measures in place to protect these consumers from unfair and expensive energy contracts.
Community energy will play a pivotal role in our 2030 Clean Power Mission. Through Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan, we will partner with and provide funding to, community groups, local authorities, and others, to develop renewable energy projects across the country, delivering up to 8 GW of cleaner power.
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
The Government has provided innovation funding through the £1.3 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and Advanced Nuclear Fund (ANF) to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative, low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The NZIP and ANF have supported over 600 projects, which has in turn supported 5,500 jobs and leveraged a further £750 million of private sector match funding in the UK.
The portfolio funds a range of programmes from small scale grants with SMEs to large-scale programmes, such as the Low-Cost Nuclear Programme with Rolls Royce SMR Ltd. To date, £1.1 billion has been allocated from the portfolio with around half allocated to small businesses in the UK.
A final Progress Report on the performance of the NZIP is expected to be published later this year.
DESNZ and its agencies do not hold any information on contracts with BFS Group Limited and its subsidiary companies.
The maintenance of our electricity network is critical to deliver clean, secure power to homes and businesses across the country. Electricity network operators are private companies which build, own, operate, and maintain electricity network infrastructure. As regional monopolies, they are regulated by the independent energy regulator, Ofgem. Transmission owners and Distribution Network Operators are required by Ofgem’s license conditions to ensure the maintenance of an efficient, economic, and coordinated system of electricity transmission and distribution respectively.
Decarbonising the power system by building more solar will increase energy security by reducing the UK’s dependence on imported oil and gas, which will in turn reduce the exposure of consumer bills to volatile international prices. Currently the cost of electricity tracks the cost of gas because gas generation sets the marginal wholesale price. Decarbonising the power system would break this link and in turn the exposure of UK electricity prices to global gas prices.
Through the Clean Power Action Plan, the Government has made clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, it will ensure they benefit from it.
Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
Hydrogen to power can play an important role in our electricity system at a range of scales. When connected to grid-scale hydrogen storage, it can provide low carbon inter-seasonal storage, whilst also providing a decarbonisation pathway for unabated gas.
In December 2024 the government announced its intention to introduce a hydrogen to power business model to support accelerated deployment of hydrogen-fired power stations.
This marks a key step in paving the way for Hydrogen to power to support delivery and maintenance of the Clean Power Mission and the UK’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
Great British Energy has as one of its key functions the delivery of the Local Power Plan which will provide funding and support to communities to meet the government's goal of 8GW of community energy by 2030.
The GBE Bill is still making its way through Parliament and the Autumn 2024 budget allocated £125m to set up the company in FY 25-26. We will have more to say on GBE's first investments in due course.
Accelerating to net zero will unlock a range of benefits for businesses, including market opportunities and access to green finance. Government will work with the business community to support their transition to net zero. With the majority of global GDP covered by net zero targets, the transition represents a significant export opportunity for UK businesses.
AI is at the forefront of geopolitical competition, so developing domestic strengths can enhance UK security and prosperity, and we are committed to supporting the growth of the sector. Lowering electricity costs by investing in clean energy will support industries with high demand, such as AI.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero announced on 23 September 2024 that the Government will consult on our plans to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for social rented homes. The Government will publish a consultation on introducing minimum energy efficiency standards for the social rented sector in due course. This could take social homes out of fuel poverty, cutting energy bills by making homes cheaper to heat. A minimum energy efficiency standard for the social rented sector would form part of the Decent Homes Standard.
Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable tariffs for their customers, and to ensure that they inform affected customers of any changes to the cost of their energy.
Ofgem has been clear that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to ensure former RTS consumers stay on a closely equivalent tariff.
Third-party intermediaries (TPIs) like price comparison websites, energy brokers, and auto-switching services are vital in helping consumers navigate the retail energy market, acting as intermediaries between energy suppliers and customers. However, not all TPIs offer optimal services. While most operate ethically and responsibly, there are exceptions. Several consumer harms have been reported, such as TPIs prioritising their own commercial interests over consumers', opaque contracting practices (including verbal contracts in the non-domestic market), instances of mis-selling, inadequate dispute resolution, and poor customer service.
The Government consultation on regulating TPIs in the retail energy market closed on 15 November. A government response will follow in due course once we have reviewed the feedback received.
Third-party intermediaries (TPIs) like price comparison websites, energy brokers, and auto-switching services are vital in helping consumers navigate the retail energy market, acting as intermediaries between energy suppliers and customers. However, not all TPIs offer optimal services. While most operate ethically and responsibly, there are exceptions. Several consumer harms have been reported, such as TPIs prioritising their own commercial interests over consumers', opaque contracting practices (including verbal contracts in the non-domestic market), instances of mis-selling, inadequate dispute resolution, and poor customer service.
The Government consultation on regulating TPIs in the retail energy market closed on 15 November. A government response will follow in due course once we have reviewed the feedback received.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, not government, set both tariff levels and structure. This is to encourage innovation and competition between suppliers.
The Government keeps the SEG under regular review to ensure it continues to meet our objectives. The latest SEG report shows registered generators more than tripled between 2022/23 to 2023/24, from 92,946 to 283,666.
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 24989.
Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
The Department is aware of the complexity of a Total Heating Total Control (THTC) metering system and the tariff requirements of customers with such a system installed. Energy suppliers are best placed to advise on suitable replacement systems and tariffs for their customers, and Ofgem has been clear that suppliers must take all reasonable steps to ensure former RTS consumers stay on a closely equivalent tariff.
The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is an industry-led initiative, with the switch-off being overseen by the energy industry, Energy UK and Ofgem. I recently met with Ofgem and Energy UK to discuss plans for the switch-off. I will continue to meet them regularly to track progress.
Ofgem and Industry have convened a Taskforce involving energy suppliers, network operators, consumers groups and the Government, to coordinate activities to rapidly increase the pace of RTS replacements. A new campaign has launched highlighting the need for RTS customers to book a meter replacement as soon as their energy supplier contacts them.
Where a household is one of the 0.7% of premises in Great Britain without Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage, energy suppliers can provide pre-configured smart meters, which operate like analogue meters, until a WAN connection can be established.
The Office for Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has been clear that energy suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to ensure that a suitable metering system is installed, and that the customer's heating and hot water is not disrupted.
The Government is committed to decarbonising a significant proportion of public sector buildings by 2030. This initiative is part of the broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and achieve net-zero targets. The Net Zero Strategy set-out the government’s commitment to halve direct emissions from public sector buildings by 2032 and an aim to further reduce them by 75% by 2037, both against a 2017 baseline.
To support this, up to £3.8 billion is being invested through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme over the financial years 2020/21 to 2027/28 to provide grants for public sector bodies in England to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with international counterparts on global cooperation on tackling climate change, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.
For example, at COP29 we met directly with more than a dozen counterparts and worked closely with many more in order to reach the final agreement in Baku.
This will continue to be a focus for both my Rt hon Friend and I throughout 2025 as we approach COP30 in Belem.
The Government will reduce dependency on fossil fuel markets by transitioning to a diverse energy system based on renewables and nuclear. This includes delivering clean power by 2030 as part of the Prime Minister’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, supported by the largest investment in home-grown energy in history. By producing clean energy at home and being more efficient in how we use it, we can boost our energy independence, protect billpayers and reduce exposure to global supply shocks. The Clean Power Action Plan details the route towards the mission, covering Great Britain, including Beckenham and Penge.
In addition to publishing our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan the Government has taken rapid action towards meeting our 2030 targets by: lifting the ban on onshore wind, establishing Great British Energy, consenting almost 2 GW of nationally significant solar, and delivering a record-breaking renewables auction. As announced last week, the Government will bring forward a Planning and Infrastructure Bill with new measures to prioritise projects and streamline the legal framework for critical infrastructure through the planning process.
We have kick-started the Warm Homes Plan by announcing in October 2024 an initial £3.4 billion in funding for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency over the next 3 years. In November, we announced we were almost doubling funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2025/26 and changing planning regulations for heat pumps. We will set out full details of the Warm Homes Plan following the Spending Review.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is responsible for data relating to Energy Performance Certification including that of the Leyton and Wanstead constituency.
Going forward, the Warm Homes Plan will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country and as the first step towards, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. Through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.