Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review.

This Government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers.

We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries. To simplify the system for consumers and installers, Government has recently mandated Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as the sole certification scheme for clean heat installations under DESNZ schemes.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. International kerosene prices are >75% higher than they were before the conflict and this is putting pressure on heating oil prices.

The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who have announced they are reviewing evidence of potential unfair practices and anti-competitive behaviour.

We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

The Department has not made an assessment of this scenario because Capacity Providers are not paid for capacity that does not build out and therefore there is no cost to consumers. Payments under the Capacity Market are only made after a Capacity Provider has demonstrated that it is available to deliver. Where existing capacity fails to demonstrate availability or deliver during its obligation period, payments are suspended and the relevant Capacity Agreement is terminated.

From a security of supply perspective non delivery risk is factored into the way that targets are set within the Capacity Market based on historic data. This ensures that we can have confidence that we are securing the right level of capacity needed to maintain electricity security through a range of scenarios.

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a rebate on energy bills, credited directly to the energy account by the energy supplier. A recipient of a means tested benefit (or their partner or nominee) needs to be named on the energy account, on the qualifying date for that winter, to be eligible.

We expect around 6m households to have received a WHD rebate this winter. Someone who is not named on the bill may still receive support through WHD Industry Initiatives, for example through the Warm Home Discount Park Homes scheme.

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a rebate on energy bills, credited directly to the energy account by the energy supplier. A recipient of a means tested benefit (or their partner or nominee) needs to be named on the energy account, on the qualifying date for that winter, to be eligible.

We expect around 6m households to have received a WHD rebate this winter. Someone who is not named on the bill may still receive support through WHD Industry Initiatives, for example through the Warm Home Discount Park Homes scheme.

The Department is in the process of creating a definition of ‘Community Energy Group’ to provide clarity for communities seeking to form community energy groups and prevent the misuse of the designation.

The Department also recognises that community energy projects may need greater support in the connections process.

DESNZ is working alongside Ofgem, Great British Energy, the National Energy System Operator (NESO), network operators and community energy stakeholders to explore grid connection regulatory and policy initiatives that will improve the experience of connecting customers, including community energy projects across the UK.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and demand in light of instability in the Middle East. The UK benefits from a strong and diverse security of fuel supplies and Ministers have met with and continue to engage with the UK & Ireland Fuel Distributors Association (UKIFDA) and other key industry bodies. We are aware that increased demand is leading to delays in some companies being able to accept new orders while they work through the backlog of existing orders.

We continue to work with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

Great British Energy (GBE) as the government’s publicly owned energy development company is designed to deliver strategic, long-term investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure. GBE is a key part of the Government’s mission to deliver clean power by 2030 to protect billpayers from volatile international fossil fuel markets by increasing domestic energy production and bring down energy bills for good.

Whilst GBE has been set up to participate in the production, distribution, storage and supply of clean energy there are currently no plans for it to have a retail arm.

A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.

A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.

ONS have committed to an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report in late summer 2026.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

The recently published Warm Homes Plan – the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history – unlocked £38 billion in total investment across the Parliament to support the UK supply chain, and with additional funding for skills, innovation and UK manufacturing, the plan will ensure that British workers and businesses reap the benefits. The government does not promote any one individual product over another.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs, and we are engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient. The supply of heating oil is subject to competition and consumer protection laws overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, who monitor for any irregularities.

The Warm Homes Discount Scheme continues to be available for low income off-grid households reliant on heating oil, while we work to support a transition away from fossil fuels to strengthen long-term resilience.

The government has and will continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive and continues to monitor developments in Northern Ireland.

Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.

The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.

Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.

Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.

The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.

Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.

Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.

The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.

Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs, and we are engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient. The supply of heating oil is subject to competition and consumer protection laws overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, who monitor for any irregularities. The Warm Homes Discount Scheme continues to be available for low income off-grid households reliant on heating oil, while we work to support a transition away from fossil fuels to strengthen long-term resilience.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 February 2026 to Question UIN 111996.

The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.

The Government and Ofgem continue to work together with consumer groups and wider stakeholders to identify and implement policy changes which can improve the non-domestic market.

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely over coming days and weeks. In an uncertain world, we will keep driving for energy sovereignty and abundance with clean homegrown power. We have shown a determination to act to help families, and businesses, and will continue to do so.

The Government also recognises and takes into consideration the more complex energy arrangements used in park homes. We are looking at this issue and recognise its importance. It is also worth noting that customers who pay non-domestic intermediaries do not pay costs related to ECO.

The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off‑gas‑grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. We continue to monitor heating‑oil supply chains ensuring households can access fuel when needed. We are frequently engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient to demand. Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority.

Households using heating oil benefit from wider cost‑of‑living support, including electricity bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget, and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off energy bills until 2030/31.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of the instability in the Middle East. We are engaging daily with industry to understand the drivers of recent price movements and order cancelations. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to heating oil distributors today to remind them of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who are aware of the issue and are considering the options available to them should concerns arise around unfair practices or anti-competitive behaviour.

Off‑grid households continue to benefit from broader Government support, including energy bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off their energy bills until 2030/31.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.

The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is actively supporting this work.

Fuel Finder has launched and this Government has made participation mandatory under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) regulations. An aggregator has been appointed with powers to monitor non-compliance and pass on cases to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as enforcer of the scheme. The CMA are currently focussing on supporting compliance rather than enforcement.

Over 88% of retailers are participating and this number will increase as the enforcement period approaches in May.

The CMA has information gathering powers to monitor the road fuels market and will use Fuel Finder data to assess regional pricing.

Government has set out its long-term vision for the net zero workforce in the Warm Homes Plan, and through the Clean Energy Jobs Plan. This includes establishing the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, and announcing a 3-year, 21 million extension of the Heat Training Grant, which supports existing heating engineers in upskilling.

The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and our investment agencies on options for investment in Grangemouth and have received over 140 enquiries. At the 2025 Autumn Budget, we announced £14.5 million funding to support these projects, complementing the National Wealth Fund’s £200 million commitment for co-investment in Grangemouth.

On 11 December 2025, the UK Government awarded up to £1.5 million to MiAlgae to build its first commercial facility at Grangemouth, a biotechnology project expected to create 130 jobs over the next five years. As a condition of the grant funding, eligible Grangemouth oil refinery workers will be given a job interview guarantee.

Retaining skilled jobs at Grangemouth is important and we are also funding a ‘training guarantee’ for all Grangemouth refinery staff to receive training to help them into new, good jobs with local employers.

No such assessment has been made.

Government is working closely with Ofgem, NESO and network companies to ensure network capacity is available to support data centre growth, in a way that balances the needs of the energy system and ensures delivery of clean power. This includes taking actions announced in the November 2025 ‘Delivering AI Growth Zones’ publication to manage speculative data centre demand and ensure the most strategic and credible projects are prioritised for connections. Government expects to consult on these measures in due course.

The Government welcomes data infrastructure where it is powered by the grid, which is on the pathway to Clean Power 2030, or where it uses low-carbon behind-the-meter power.

Data centres can be positioned where surplus renewable power exists, supporting grid balance and reducing network constraints.

Government is launching a review led by the AI Champion for Clean Energy to assess opportunities, risks and enablers for using AI in grid planning and management, guiding coordinated and safe innovation.

There are 70 members of staff in the Department that hold a visa which permits them to work in the United Kingdom.

This figure includes staff on work and other visa routes. It does not include individuals granted pre or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

All staff are required to demonstrate a valid right to work in accordance with Home Office requirements.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not collect information specifically on new jobs associated with battery energy storage systems and therefore has not made that specific projection; details on the government's plans for clean energy jobs in general are published in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan. A copy is attached.

The Government is strengthening energy security by reducing dependency on volatile global fossil fuel markets and delivering a diverse, secure and clean energy system based on renewables and nuclear, backed up by a strategic reserve of gas supply to be used only when essential, which will benefit the country and the Hon. Member’s constituency.

For further detail I refer the Rt hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 March to Question UIN 113858.

The Secretary of State is responsible for determining whether to agree to the grant of consent for development of the project under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations for offshore oil and gas and will make a decision in due course.

The effect of voltage reduction on consumer bills varies between appliances. For appliances that are power controlled (including most electronics, LED lighting, EV chargers and heat pumps), lowering the voltage does not reduce energy consumption and reduce consumer bills. For appliances that are resistive (electric heaters, filament lights), the devices work less well at lower voltages and the effect on consumer bills depends on the consumer’s response to this reduction in performance (e.g. by switching on more heating or lighting).

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan sets out that to meet future heat pump deployment targets the workforce will need to grow from around 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) installers today to around 12,000 FTE by 2030. The Government is continuing to support workforce growth through a 3-year, £21 million extension of the Heat Training Grant. Government is also supporting new entrants through the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship. Government also recently established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, which will focus on growing a skilled and resilient net zero workforce.

Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to develop the UK's first small modular reactors (SMRs), subject to final government approvals and contract signature, which will be sited at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales.

With the aim of deploying to the grid in the mid-2030s, the project is expected to provide around 1.5GW of low carbon electricity, powering the equivalent of around 3 million of today’s homes.

Wylfa A a former Magnox nuclear power plant located on Anglesey, currently being decommissioned by Nuclear Restoration Services under the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), continues to safely and securely store Intermediate Level Waste in line with site license conditions set by the Office for Nuclear Regulations.  Any Low-Level Waste that arises from operations is safely transferred off site for further management, including disposal at the NDAs Low Level Waste Repository.

As a result of decisions taken in the Budget, energy bills are set to fall by 7% or £117 from April. The expansion of the Warm Home Discount means nearly 6 million households are now eligible for the discount. We will continue to provide this until 2030/31.

We also made a £15 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan. £5 billion of this is going to low-income and fuel poor households, initially delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant. This is made up of £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million from the Warm Homes Fund, our new strategic investment facility.

As Ofgem states in its recent publication, Government is working closely with the regulator, NESO, and network companies, to develop and deliver a coordinated package of reforms to the grid connection process for demand projects.

This includes measures described in the November 2025 ‘Delivering AI Growth Zones’ announcement to manage speculative data centre demand and secure capacity for viable data centre connections while ensuring delivery of a clean and secure energy system.

Our Clean Power 2030 mission is essential to cutting electricity prices for good. By accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown electricity, we are working to shield end-users from the volatility of fossil fuel prices and to deliver reliable, affordable energy to every part of the UK economy, including the third sector. We intend to consult on further steps to support the shift to cheaper, more secure power across the economy.

We are committed to bearing down on the cost of standing charges and continue to work closely with the independent regulator, Ofgem, on this issue.

As a result of action following the Autumn Budget, and shifting the recovery of the Warm Home Discount to unit rates, the average standing charge in the Price Cap from April to end June has come down by £13, and standing charges are lower now than in July 2024.

In addition, on 25 February Ofgem announced the launch of a one-year, lower standing charge tariff pilot with some major suppliers, from April 2026.

Through its Cost Allocation and Recovery Review, Ofgem has also been reviewing how fixed costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system. This includes whether those fixed costs could be recovered in more progressive ways.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs, and we are engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient. The supply of heating oil is subject to competition and consumer protection laws overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, who monitor for any irregularities. The Warm Homes Discount Scheme continues to be available for low income off-grid households reliant on heating oil, while we work to support a transition away from fossil fuels to strengthen long-term resilience.

Energy resilience is one of our top priorities. The Government is working with the industry to continually improve and maintain the resilience of old and new energy infrastructure, networks and assets, including the ones in rural areas. This will reduce vulnerabilities and ensure an effective response to actual or potentially disruptive incidents.

The Government will also publish an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026 to set long term priorities for maintaining a secure and resilient energy system.

COP29 agreed a collective goal to provide at least $300bn from a broad range of public and private sources, with developed countries taking the lead.

The UK is committed to providing International Climate Finance now and in the future, and to playing our part alongside other developed countries and climate finance providers to deliver our international commitments. The UK is on track to deliver £11.6bn in International Climate Finance by the end of this financial year. Future spending plans will be set out following the completion of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation process.

The government is assessing how it can streamline land access, rights and consent processes to speed up electricity network deployment and published a consultation which ran from 8 July to 2 September 2025. The consultation proposed a raft of changes to these processes. We expect to publish our response in the coming quarter, setting out the direction of travel in this area.

The Government is consulting on proposals for HEM for existing buildings in the HEM:EPC consultation which is open until 18 March. This includes exploring the optional use of additional verified in-situ measured evidence which can be input where available to assessors, which can improve assessment accuracy.