Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 46934 on Energy: Prices, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the transition to clean energy on levels of (a) grid reliability and (b) energy supply (i) at all times and (ii) during periods of peak demand.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great Britain has a secure and diverse energy system. As published in the Statutory Security of Supply Report 2024, Great Britain is expected to have sufficient supplies of electricity and gas to meet demand in the short and long term, including during peak demand. The government’s mission is to secure our energy supply with home-grown, clean power and we have set out the steps to achieve this in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan – which explains how we will boost energy security, grid reliability and protect consumers.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 ensure that the transition to clean power does not increase levels of (a) energy poverty and (b) regional inequalities.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - 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. 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.
Alongside the Warm Homes Plan we are developing an updated fuel poverty strategy for England, which aims to accelerate progress to alleviate fuel poverty across all regions this decade. This recognises that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the £150 Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. In February, we published a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount which would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme, pushing the total number of eligible households up to 6 million.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 (a) automatically enroll eligible households on and (b) inform eligible households about the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Warm Home Discount Scheme uses data matching between the Government and energy suppliers to provide rebates automatically to the majority of eligible households (around 95%). These households will receive a letter informing them of their eligibility automatically with no further action required.
Where it is not clear from the data-matching process if a household is eligible for a rebate, for instance where we have not been able to match them with a participating energy supplier or certain Government-held data on property characteristics is missing, they are sent a letter explaining that they may contact a helpline to check their eligibility.
For more information on the Warm Home Discount and eligibility for the scheme, please visit GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps Great British Energy plans to take to support projects in Lancashire.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 21 March 2025, the government announced £180 million of funding for rooftop solar panels for schools and hospitals delivered through Great British Energy (GBE). Five NHS trusts within Lancashire will be fitted with solar panels under this scheme. Successful schools will be announced in due course.
GBE will strategically develop, invest in, and own clean energy projects across the UK. It will also create thousands of good jobs and build supply chains in every region of the UK through the projects that it supports.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes had been upgraded under the Warm Homes Plan in Fylde constituency by 30 May 2025; and what targets his Department has for upgrading homes in Fylde constituency in the next two years.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion as part of the 2024 Spending Review over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1.8 billion of grant funding allocated to the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to 170,000 homes by 2028.
We will partner with combined authorities, local authorities, and social housing providers to roll out this plan, delivering warmer, more energy efficient homes in communities across England.
Successful applicants and grants allocated to the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund are listed on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2025 to Question 46934 on Energy: Prices, what his Department's timetable is for publishing its response to the consultation entitled Expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme, 2025 to 2026, published on 25 February 2025.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will publish its response to the consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households were in receipt of the Warm Home Discount in Fylde constituency on 30 May 2025; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of households in Fylde constituency that would be eligible for the Warm Home Discount under its proposals.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The latest published Warm Home Discount statistics are for 2023-24 and use the constituency boundaries operating prior to the 2024 General Election. Most (85%) of the residential premises in the current Fylde constituency come from the Fylde constituency under the previous boundaries, in which 3,919 households received the Warm Home Discount rebate in 2023-24. The Warm Home Discount statistics for 2024-25 will be published on 26th June 2025. The statistics only cover receipt of the Warm Home Discount and estimates of eligibility are not available.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 help ensure that nuclear energy contributes to the resilience of the UK’s energy supply.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan makes clear that nuclear will play an important role in our future energy system, providing low-carbon, baseload power to the grid. Sizewell C continues to make good progress, while Great British Nuclear is driving forward its Small Modular Reactor competition, with final decisions to be taken shortly. The Nuclear Regulatory Task Force set up by the Prime Minister is working to identify reforms to better enable speedier, safe deployment of nuclear technology.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 taking to secure (a) domestic and (b) international investment in the nuclear industry.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is committed to attracting the investment required to deliver future nuclear projects. The Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for nuclear has been established as an option for funding nuclear projects, aiming to reduce financing costs and attract long-term investment from private capital providers, with the Sizewell C project designated to utilise the model. Additionally, my Department works closely with the Office for Investment and other parts of Government to promote investment opportunities in the UK nuclear sector.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps to support landlords to reach an EPC C rating in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are various schemes currently delivering home energy efficiency improvements across Great Britain, including Flyde and Lancashire, such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme. Households in the private rented sector (PRS) are eligible if they receive means tested benefits and fall within Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band E-G.
The WH:LG provides support for low income tenants in the PRS by allowing PRS landlords to claim 100% grant funding towards the cost of energy performance upgrades for one privately rented home that meets the scheme eligibility criteria, with any subsequent eligible homes in their portfolio requiring a 50% cost contribution from the landlord.