Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

The domestic Energy Performance Certificate is based on energy costs. This government is investing £13.2 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to 5 million homes and cut energy bills for good, in line with the Manifesto commitment.

Further details on allocations for individual programmes will be set out soon, but will include increasing funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, additional funding for social housing landlords through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and funding for the Warm Homes: Local Grant, to improve the energy performance of low-income households through the installation of energy efficiency measures and low carbon technologies, as well as funding to deliver heat network schemes.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is committed to supporting small businesses across the UK in their transition to cleaner, more secure energy.

Key steps include:

• UK Business Climate Hub – the Department has recently provided a grant to fund a refresh of the UK Business Climate Hub, a central platform offering SMEs across the UK sector-specific guidance, and information about green finance options.
• Business Energy Advice Service (Pilot in the West Midlands) – the Department is trialling an approach to providing small businesses with energy audits and grants to invest in energy efficient equipment.
• Financial support via schemes like the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (now closed for new applications) and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (not available in Northern Ireland)
• Investing in innovation, helping SMEs adopt low-carbon technologies and improve energy efficiency.

These programmes form part of the Department’s wider efforts to ensure small businesses can play a full role in the UK’s energy transition, while benefiting from reduced costs and enhanced competitiveness.

For Northern Ireland, energy policy is devolved. However, we continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to share best practice and support UK-wide collaboration on energy transition. Small businesses in Northern Ireland can access advice and support through local programmes.

This government is investing £13.2 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to 5 million homes, including £500 million to be delivered from 2025-28 through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. The WH:LG provides energy performance measures to low-income homes with EPCs band D-G on or off the gas grid across England.

For most rural homes, decarbonising heat will involve installing a heat pump. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants offer £7,500 for heat pumps, and £5,000 for biomass boilers in specific rural cases.

For tailored recommendations on home upgrades consumers should visit the government’s home retrofit tool on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency

The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility.

Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon baseload energy, SMRs may be able to serve the electricity grid more flexibly than traditional nuclear, as well as unlock a range of additional applications in energy sectors beyond grid electricity.

The Government has committed not to issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields. In the ‘Building the North Sea’s Energy Future’ consultation, it sought views on how to implement that commitment.

The Government is considering evidence from a wide range of sources as part of that process, including the latest evidence from the North Sea Transition Authority.

The Government will issue a response to the consultation in due course.

Sizewell C Ltd plan to begin operating the power plant in the mid- to late-2030s.

The Government is assessing updates to Great Britian’s energy labelling standards on a case-by-case basis. The department is working to address challenges from differing labelling regimes, informed by independent analysis of EU standards and potential implications for the UK internal market.

Additional information on energy labelling can be found here: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/home-appliances/. Further guidance on energy labelling for suppliers can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-energy-labelling-of-products, and on the Office for Product Safety & Standards website.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is currently reflected in the domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating, which is based on energy costs. Electricity generated by PV is assigned a value and deducted from the property’s energy cost, improving the EPC Rating.

Government is reforming EPCs to better align them with our Clean Power and Net Zero objectives. Our December 2024 consultation proposed moving from one metric to four complementary metrics, together highlighting the main aspects of a home’s energy performance. Alongside retaining an energy cost metric, this includes a Smart Readiness metric that would reflect a home’s ability to generate electricity, such as from solar PV. A response to the consultation will be published in due course.

It remains our intention to cut energy bills by up to £300 by 2030.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

A clean power system will also help protect consumers from global gas prices and fluctuations which drove increases of over £1,300 in the electricity price cap for a typical household during winter 22/23.

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

Funding for National Gas Transmission is set by Ofgem’s RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation + Outputs) framework for each five-year regulatory period. Both the current RIIO-2 framework (covering the 2021-2026 regulatory period) and the draft RIIO-3 framework (which will cover 2026-2030) include a Cyber Resilience UIOLI (‘Use it or lose it’) allowance, providing flexible funding capped at up to 20% of total expenditure for network companies to improve cyber resilience.

While arrangements for RIIO-3 are still being finalised, the framework is expected to include a re-opener enabling National Gas Transmission to request changes to cyber resilience funding during the 2026-2030 price control period.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, are responsible for agreeing the funding and investment allowances for the gas transmission network and gas distribution network. Final decisions regarding the next price control period (RIIO3 – which covers April 2026 - April 2031) will be confirmed by Ofgem before the end of the year.

Through this process, Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to attract investment and maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.

The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period. DESNZ launched an Energy Security and Resilience Taskforce with CEOs of critical operators, with Ofgem in attendance, as a key forum to discuss risks and standards.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, are responsible for agreeing the funding and investment allowances for the gas transmission network and gas distribution network. Final decisions regarding the next price control period (RIIO3 – which covers April 2026 - April 2031) will be confirmed by Ofgem before the end of the year.

Through this process, Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to attract investment and maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.

The Department will continue engaging with Ofgem to ensure RIIO-3 delivers the investment needed to maintain energy security through this period. DESNZ launched an Energy Security and Resilience Taskforce with CEOs of critical operators, with Ofgem in attendance, as a key forum to discuss risks and standards.

Ofgem, as the independent regulator, are responsible for agreeing the funding and investment allowances for the gas transmission network and gas distribution network. Final decisions regarding the next price control period (RIIO3 – which covers April 2026 - April 2031) will be confirmed by Ofgem before the end of the year.

Through this process, Ofgem has a statutory responsibility to attract investment and maintain security of supply while incentivising efficiency and protecting consumers from excessive costs.

Ofgem advised in their draft determinations for RIIO-3 that funding for projects supporting rising electricity demand, including those driven by AI and data centres, will be considered where appropriate evidence is submitted, and will be confirmed in their final determinations.

The Clean Energy Jobs Plan sets out the workforce needed to deliver our clean energy ambitions and how the government will work in partnership with industry and trade unions to deliver it. As outlined in the plan, the Government will shortly be bringing forward the Warm Homes Plan. This plan will detail initiatives specifically designed to facilitate growth of the retrofit supply chain.

Ministers engage regularly with the scientific community and trusted experts, including the Climate Change Committee, to ensure our climate policies are based on the best available advice and evidence. A list of ministers’ meetings with external organisations is published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Net Zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st Century – one that has the potential to reignite our industrial heartlands, create good jobs for the future, and lower bills in the long term

We’re restoring the UK as a global leader on climate action and green growth, and you can expect to see the PM driving forward that agenda at COP30.

As he did last year at COP29, the Secretary of State will be leading the UK delegation in Brazil supported by myself and other Ministers. We will work with others to support multilateralism and push for maximal ambition.

The UK Government has statutory duties to address and reduce fuel poverty and is committed to helping the poorest in our society. The expanded Warm Home Discount will support around 6m households this winter, offering essential support through the winter for those in or at risk of fuel poverty.

The scheme’s expansion to 2.7 million additional households will be cost neutral, with costs offset through Ofgem’s work to reduce energy debt.

As of June 2025, the Coal Authority (now the Mining Remediation Authority) estimates that there were 68 million tonnes of economically recoverable coal resources in the United Kingdom. Source: DUKES_2025_Chapter_2.pdf

The Government recognises the importance of protecting tropical forests and welcomes Brazil’s leadership in developing the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) ahead of COP30. The UK has supported the development of the TFFF through technical assistance. The Government continues to consider its position regarding a financial contribution to the Facility.

The UK strongly supports global efforts to protect forests, including advocating for the international commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while supporting livelihoods and economic development. Through diplomacy, partnerships and development programming, we are working to improve forest governance, sustainable trade and investment, and to mobilise finance to protect and restore the world's major tropical forest basins.

As I notified the hon. Member in my Answer on 27 October 2025 to Question 84141, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero receives a high volume of invitations to events and is not able to accommodate all requests.

Data on oil and gas reserves are published on page 24 of Energy in Brief. Further information about reserves and resources is available from the North Sea Transition Authority.

Data on coal resources are published in Table 2.6 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics.

Data for on and offshore resources are not available separately.

Data on oil and gas reserves are published on page 24 of Energy in Brief. Further information about reserves and resources is available from the North Sea Transition Authority.

Data on coal resources are published in Table 2.6 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics.

Data for on and offshore resources are not available separately.

The Government is determined to facilitate the deployment of data centres in ways that are compatible with its Clean Power 2030 ambition. Through the AI Energy Council and its working groups, it has brought the energy and tech industries together at the highest levels to consider the ways in which data centres can be powered by reliable low-carbon generation.

The Local Power Plan is a joint plan between GBE and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero which will outline our shared vision for the local and community energy sector: to drive the growth of locally-owned renewable energy projects and support efforts to unlock cleaner, cheaper and more resilient power at the community level. This will give communities a direct stake in the transition to net zero.

We are continuing to develop the Local Power Plan with GBE and other key stakeholders and updates will be provided soon.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is the lead department for the energy sector only.

Regarding energy utility accounts, Ofgem is the energy regulator for Great Britain. Ofgem works to protect energy consumers and ensure they are treated fairly.

Ofgem has a specific counter fraud team who work to detect, prevent, deter, and take firm action where there is evidence of fraud.

Ofgem has also issued guidance to energy suppliers regarding identity checking of new customers. Due diligence on verifying the identity of a customer is important for energy suppliers, especially if they are extending credit on an energy account.

The UK is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels and meeting global climate targets.

The Government has published supplementary environmental guidance on end-use emissions from burning extracted offshore oil and gas. This guidance will ensure that the full environmental impact of offshore hydrocarbon development projects is considered. Environmental Impact Assessments will be subject to a robust regulatory decision-making process.

The Government supports decarbonising oil and gas production. It has also consulted on its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields and will publish a response setting out its next steps in due course.

The hydrogen sector is nascent but is expected to grow significantly; the global hydrogen market could exceed $1 trillion by 2050, with the UK well positioned to capture a substantial share.

We intend to publish a revised Hydrogen Strategy which will highlight the opportunities available to UK hydrogen technology manufacturers and set out plans to optimise the job creation and economic benefits delivered by the UK hydrogen economy.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain; working together with industry and unions to identify actions that support the skills and workforce needs of the UK’s future low carbon hydrogen economy.

The Government engages regularly with the National Fire Chiefs Council, representatives of local authorities and other key stakeholders to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries, including the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG).

The PPG sets a clear expectation that developers engage with fire and rescue services before they submit a planning application for a grid-scale battery site. It also encourages local planning authorities to engage with fire services as part of the formal period of public consultation and before reaching a planning determination. As such, government considers the PPG to be effective in setting out clear expectations for developers and decision-makers on grid-scale planning applications.

The Government is reviewing and considering the NAO recommendations in full and will publish a response in due course.

The results of the independent audits published by the Department demonstrate systemic failures in the consumer protection regime, which is why we are conducting a sweeping overhaul, with details to be brought forward in the Warm Homes Plan.

The Government welcomes Citizens Advice’s report and is committed to working with them and other stakeholders to ensure reforms deliver for both customers and installers.

The Government is planning to consult on proposals early next year.

Whilst the Government does not hold data on specific importation dates, the majority of all blades used in wind turbines that have become operational in the last three years in the UK have been manufactured in the UK or supplied from Europe.

The Department does not hold this information. HMRC publishes the value and mass of solar panels imported, by country, on its data portal at www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/.

While the UK has no large-scale conventional solar manufacturing, the Solar Roadmap sets out a number of actions to strengthen domestic supply chains, such as considering the case to further support companies looking to scale up the production of innovative solar technologies and balance of system components, and an online directory to make it easier for solar manufacturers to locate their operations in the UK.

We are working closely with Ofgem and National Energy System Operator (NESO) to deliver an electricity network ready for clean power by 2030 and beyond, accelerating infrastructure delivery by reforming planning, regulation and supply chains. The same is true for electricity storage where government has set out capacity ranges in the Clean Power Action Plan and has introduced measures to support this, such as the long duration electricity storage (LDES) cap and floor investment support scheme.

Due to the level of non-compliance in EWI, the Government is offering audits to all households where External Wall Insulation (EWI) was installed under ECO4 or GBIS.

If non-compliance is found, the original installer is responsible for the cost of putting the work right. Should the installer have ceased to trade, the protections under the 25-year guarantee can be invoked.

Checks across all measures under ECO4 and GBIS, will continue to be carried out by TrustMark and certification bodies as part of routine surveillance.

Lessons learned from ECO and related schemes will be utilised in the design of any future schemes to ensure high-quality delivery and clear accountability, with focus on streamlining processes and improving consumer outcomes.

The upcoming Warm Homes Plan will outline reforms to simplify the consumer protection landscape, strengthen installation standards, and ensure swift remediation and redress for consumers.

The Government has taken decisive action to protect consumers, strengthen oversight and standards, including:

• Greater oversight of TrustMark’s operations through a Memorandum of Understanding and the appointment of a Departmental board observer,
• PAS 2035/2030:2023 introduced requirements for Retrofit Coordinators to conduct site visits and raised qualifications standards for Retrofit Designers,
• Certification bodies agreed installers should hold one PAS 2030 certification per measure, improving accountability,
• Continued PAS 2035/2030 standards sponsorship, with the British Standards Institution reviewing further improvements.

Further improvements will be outlined in the Warm Homes Plan.

The Government has taken decisive action to protect consumers, including:

• Greater oversight of TrustMark’s operations through a Memorandum of Understanding and the appointment of a Departmental board observer,
• PAS 2035/2030:2023 introduced requirements for Retrofit Coordinators to conduct site visits and raised qualifications standards for Retrofit Designers,
• Certification bodies agreed installers should hold one PAS 2030 certification per measure, improving accountability,
• Continued PAS 2035/2030 standards sponsorship, with the British Standards Institution reviewing further improvements.

The Department will also be offering an on-site audit to all households that received external wall insulation under ECO4 and GBIS. Where issues are found, remediation will be at no cost to the consumer, with installers responsible for repairs.

The Department is conducting a comprehensive overhaul of the consumer protection system, with reforms to be outlined in the Warm Homes Plan.

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 and was accompanied by the Department’s options assessment. A government response to the consultation and further impact assessment will be published in due course. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will also include further initiatives to facilitate the creation of high quality, well-paid, and future proofed jobs in the retrofit sector.

The UK is optimally positioned to develop a thriving hydrogen economy, with many UK companies at the forefront of hydrogen technology advancement.

The Government announced a public finance offer for clean energy industries to crowd private investment into sustainable UK supply chains. This includes: a £1bn Clean Energy supply chain fund; £5.8bn for the National Wealth Fund to invest across this Parliament in clean industries including low-carbon hydrogen; and a £4bn British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital initiative.

We will also work with projects to deliver events connecting developers and suppliers.

UK companies are at the forefront of the clean energy transition, and are already exporting their innovative technologies and world-renowned services to projects across the globe.

We are working hard to ensure UK hydrogen and fuel cell companies continue to capitalise on the opportunities of the global clean energy transition, and to access high value opportunities in international markets.

This includes working to remove trade barriers, as well as championing our world-leading hydrogen companies overseas.

We are also working with international governments to unlock opportunities in established and emerging markets, establishing international partnerships to support UK commercial collaborations.

The use of components manufactured in the UK will differ on a project-by-project basis. However, the building of nuclear power stations creates significant opportunities for UK companies, with EDF estimating that the current Hinkley Point C project spends 64% of construction value with British businesses. Sizewell C Ltd plan to award 70% of construction value to UK businesses, while separately Great British Energy – Nuclear’s ambition is to deliver 70% UK content across the small modular reactor fleet.

In the 2025 spending review, the Government allocated £9.4 billion over the Spending Review period.

The bulk of public funding for Track 1 is only provided once projects are operational. Transport & Storage Companies (T&SCos) operate a Regulated Asset Base model regulated by Ofgem. This allows them to recover costs during operation by charging connected capture projects - expected from 2028 onwards.

The government has announced its support for the Acorn and Viking clusters and is providing development funding to advance their delivery, including approximately £200m for Acorn. The exact amounts for each cluster and funding schedule will be subject to negotiations, value for money and deliverability assessments.

The Government recently consulted on proposals under the Clean Industry Bonus which aim to incentivise developers to provide routes to high-quality employment. The Government will analyse responses and set out its proposed next steps in the response due to be released this winter. An impact assessment will also be published before relevant secondary legislation is laid.