Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 (a) eligible for, (b) made an application for and (c) received an Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding payment in (i) Cynon Valley constituency, (ii) Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough, (iii) Wales and (iv) the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
To deliver the energy support at pace the Department developed working assumptions based on estimates. For that reason, estimates of potential eligible households below should not be viewed as populations of households that were eligible for the scheme – but rather working assumptions used to develop policy and ensure funding was made available to local authorities for them to deliver the scheme in a timely fashion.
Region | Number estimated to be potentially eligible | Cumulative Number applied as of 11 July 2023 | Cumulative Number paid or approved for payment as of 11 July 2023 |
Cynon Valley constituency | Not available | 180 | 110 |
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough (data refers to local authority) | 2,200 | 390 | 230 |
Wales | 38,300 | 10,160 | 6,890 |
UK | 930,000 | 216,490 | 148,480 |
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the letter by Ofgem entitled Open letter on changes in the energy supply market and Ofgem’s approach to regulation, published on 4 July 2023, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the commitment by Ofgem to review the adequacy of the price cap formula.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As the expert independent regulator, Ofgem is responsible for operating the price cap. Ofgem remains the sole decision-maker over how it is calculated and has consulted extensively on the methodology for determining the cap level. The Government always keeps its energy supply market policies under review to ensure they are working for consumers.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his oral contribution of 3 July 2023 on Road Fuel Prices, Official Report, col 559, what steps the Government plans to take to (a) monitor and (b) assess the effectiveness of the proposed (i) statutory open data scheme for retail fuel prices and (ii) road fuel prices monitoring function.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has committed to consult on the design of the statutory open data scheme and monitoring function for road fuel prices this autumn.
The consultation will consider how to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the open data scheme and monitoring function ensuring consumers have the information they need to shop around and get the best prices.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Competition and Markets Authority's report entitled Supply of road fuel in the United Kingdom market study - Final Report, published on 3 July 2023, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report's recommendation at para 7(b) for the Government to consider whether further action may be needed to protect consumers.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has committed to consult on the design of the monitoring function, including which public body is best placed to be tasked with taking on this role.
Once the function is established, as the Government has done throughout the Competition and Market Authority’s market study, any reports and recommendations that may emerge from the monitoring function will be carefully considered by the Government.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to provide support for energy costs associated with the use of domestic medical equipment before April 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the autumn statement, the Government is exploring the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, as part of the wider retail market reforms. Currently, the government has no plans to provide any additional energy support other than the existing Energy Price Guarantee.
Officials have had discussions with disability organisations, including Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Carer’s Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Citizen’s Advice, Fair by Design, Leonard Cheshire, Leukaemia Care, Parkinson’s UK and SCOPE. As part of this work, they are working on assessing the need for specific support for disabled people and their households.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential impact of using domestic medical equipment on household energy costs.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the autumn statement, the Government is exploring the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, as part of the wider retail market reforms. Currently, the government has no plans to provide any additional energy support other than the existing Energy Price Guarantee.
Officials have had discussions with disability organisations, including Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Carer’s Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Citizen’s Advice, Fair by Design, Leonard Cheshire, Leukaemia Care, Parkinson’s UK and SCOPE. As part of this work, they are working on assessing the need for specific support for disabled people and their households.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the impact of changes in energy suppliers standing charges on the use of energy in low-income households.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
How suppliers choose to set the standing charge and unit rate is a commercial decision. However, the default tariff cap, set by Ofgem, puts a limit on the unit rates and standing charges that suppliers can charge for their default tariffs.
In August 2022, Ofgem reviewed the components of the standing charge to see if they could be reduced. Ofgem concluded that, if the methodology for the standing charge were to change, there are numerous high consuming, vulnerable users, such as disabled users, who would pay more. Therefore, retaining the current methodology protects vulnerable users with greater energy needs.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of linking the energy suppliers standing charges to number of units of energy used.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Ofgem reviewed the components of the standing charge to see if they could be reduced, including the merits of a volumetric standing charge. Ofgem published the findings of their review in August last year and concluded that retaining the current methodology would protect higher consuming users with greater energy needs, such as disabled users and users with electric heating in areas off the gas grid. As a result, they would not be directing industry parties to make changes to the methodology.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing systems to compare energy suppliers' standing charges to consumers' ability to pay for energy.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Changing standard charges would inevitably create trade-offs. Ofgem recently reviewed the components of the standing charge to assess if it could be reduced. They concluded that whilst some low consuming users might benefit, there are a number of higher consuming users, including vulnerable individuals and users with electric heating in areas off the gas grid, that would end up paying more through higher unit rates. As a result, Ofgem decided not to mandate changes to the standing charge calculation methodology.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he has taken to develop a Just Transition Work Programme in line with the Sharm-el Sheikh Implementation Plan agreed at COP27; and what consultations have been held with trade unions to date.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government recognises that a just transition will support the creation of quality jobs in developing countries and enable enhanced climate mitigation. As such, the Government is working constructively towards a COP28 decision on the Just Transition Work Programme which catalyses increased climate ambition and underscores the importance of supporting workers and impacted communities. Trade Unions are engaged through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process.