Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support self-catering businesses in making changes to properties to comply with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation sought views on whether short-term lets should be included to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties.
We engaged widely with stakeholders during the consultation process, including the self-catering holiday lets sector and a government response will be published in due course. Following the government response and relevant legislation changes, we will issue guidance to help landlords to comply with any new requirements, which would be published on gov.uk. Support is currently available at the government webpage ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in your Home’.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department taking steps to promote new technologies to help people save money on their energy bills.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is supporting the deployment of technologies that will reduce household bills through a variety of schemes including the Energy Company Obligation, the Great British Insulation Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Decarbonisation, Warm Homes: Local Government and the continuation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The government invested up to £42 million in the Heat Pump Ready (HPR) innovation programme to overcome barriers to heat pump deployment and support innovation in product design.
To promote the benefits of heat pumps the government has also relaunched its ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign.
The Warm Homes Plan will continue our support for low carbon technologies and other energy efficiency upgrades to help reduce bills.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring houses in multiple occupation to achieve an energy performance certificate rating of D or better.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector and reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). The Energy Performance of Buildings consultation asked whether houses in multiple occupation should require EPCs.
If a property is let on a relevant tenancy and is legally required to have an EPC then it will need to meet the private rented sector minimum energy efficiency standard, unless a valid exemption applies.
Government has proposed to raise the standard from E to C or equivalent by 2030. A government response to both consultations will be published in due course.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has a completion date for Sizewell C.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Sizewell C Ltd plan to begin operating the power plant in the mid- to late-2030s.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 accept the recommendation by the Office of Value for Money to lay a Command Paper with a Strategy and Delivery Plan for specific mega projects before Parliament.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Where projects within the Department are designated as megaprojects, the recommendations of the Office for Value for Money study will be considered as appropriate.
Having been defined a mega project by the study, a Strategy and Delivery Plan for Sizewell C will be laid as a Command Paper in Parliament in the coming months.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether consumers will be exempt from paying for remediation costs to fix faulty insulation installations under the (a) ECO4 and (b) GBIS schemes if the costs exceed £20,000.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The remediation costs sit with the original installer. We expect remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS to cost between £250 and £6,000 for IWI and £5,000 and £18,000 for EWI. This should be covered by the guarantee should the installer no longer be trading.
There have been some instances where costs are greater than £20,000 (complex cases), we are working with the sector to find solutions and for these faulty installations to be fixed.
Wider consumer protection reform will ensure that financial protections are clearly accessible and fully protect the consumer.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on the adequacy of its counter-fraud policies, in the context of the National Audit Office’s report titled Energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation, published on 14 October 2025.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem are the administrator for both ECO4 and GBIS and there is regular engagement between Ofgem and DESNZ on all aspects of the schemes. In regard to the NAO report, Ofgem are actively engaged in the review of evidence relating to possible fraud and they have the legal power to demand that energy suppliers pay for a new measure to be installed, where eligibility for the scheme or delivery of measures is found to have been carried out fraudulently.
Therefore suppliers must have robust fraud management plans as part of their obligation, or face losing money. Further, they will engage with any relevant authorities in pursuit of wider enforcement action where that is deemed necessary.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 support prepayment meter customers unable to access (a) heating and (b) power.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Customers who are unable to top up their prepayment meter may be able to obtain a fuel voucher, access to emergency credit or be eligible for Cold Weather Payments, the Warm Home Discount or the Winter Fuel Payment. Customers should contact their energy supplier if they have concerns and information on support with paying energy bills can be found on Citizens Advice's website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bills.
On 25 September we published a consultation setting out our intention to continue support for those 6 million households. The consultation sets out proposals for the next scheme period (up to winter 2030/31), after current regulations expire on 31 March 2026. Government is gathering feedback from stakeholders on:
The consultation closes on Thursday 20 November.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of heating bills on rural communities in the context of the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030, including those in rural communities. On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bills.
On 25 September we published a consultation setting out our intention to continue support for those 6 million households. The consultation sets out proposals for the next scheme period (up to winter 2030/31), after current regulations expire on 31 March 2026. Government is gathering feedback from stakeholders on:
The consultation closes on Thursday 20 November.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 help protect tenants from (a) eviction and (b) rent increases following government-funded low-carbon improvement works carried out by landlords.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government is committed to protecting and improving the rights of tenants through improving the quality of their homes, resulting in reduced energy costs.
We have engaged and consulted with landlord and tenant representative groups in developing policy. We set out proposals in the consultation on maximum spend from landlords and the exemptions regime. These changes do not require landlords to increase rents.
The new Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce protections for tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases and stop landlords using large rent increases to force tenants out. Landlords will be able to increase rents to market rates once per year, with tenants able to challenge this at the Tribunal if it is unreasonable.