Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of replicating the Welsh Government’s support for low-income households using LPG or heating oil.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In March 2026, the UK Government announced £53 million of targeted support for low-income households that use heating oil, including £3.8 million for Wales. The Welsh Government is using this funding to provide eligible low-income households that use heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas with a one-off £200 payment.
Equivalent support is already available in England through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Local authorities can provide Crisis Payments to low-income households facing financial hardship with the cost of domestic heating fuels, including heating oil and LPG, and determine the most appropriate support according to local need
The Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, and plans to strengthen regulations in the market for the first time, making sure households who use heating oil are treated fairly. This will include developing options for a proportionate regulatory regime for the heating oil market, which will take time to get right, to ensure the best outcomes for consumers. In the meantime, we will work with industry to strengthen consumer protection measures in existing Codes of Conduct, which set rules for the sector. This is a clear indication of the Government’s commitment to create a fairer, more resilient and trusted heating oil market, which delivers stronger consumer protections while preserving competition and security of supply. The full response can be found here:
For households considering alternatives to oil heating, the Government is supporting the installation of low-carbon heating through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The scheme is open to domestic and small non-domestic properties in England and Wales and provides upfront grants towards eligible low-carbon heating technologies. It currently offers £7,500 towards the installation of air-to-water heat pumps and ground source heat pumps, £5,000 towards biomass boilers in limited circumstances, and £2,500 towards air-to-air heat pumps. A time-limited higher grant of £9,000 is available for eligible off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating systems, helping households and small businesses most exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices to switch to low-carbon heating. The grant is deducted from the upfront cost by the installer, who applies to Ofgem on the property owner’s behalf. Eligibility, suitability and costs will vary by property, and households should seek advice from an MCS-certified installer before making changes to their heating system.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the costs of implementing a Portuguese-style LPG or heating oil support system in England.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has not made a formal assessment of the costs of implementing a Portuguese-style LPG or heating oil support scheme in England.
The Government has allocated £53 million through the Crisis & Resilience Fund administered by local authorities in England to support those on low-income households who use heating oil and LPG to heat their homes.
The Department will continue to review the support available to households facing energy affordability pressures, including those that rely on alternative fuels such as heating oil and LPG.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households in the UK are living off the electric grid; and what actions his department are taking to ensure access to energy for communities in all parts of the UK, including rural and remote locations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ does not hold data on off-grid households. DESNZ works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including rural and remote areas. Under Ofgem’s price control framework, network companies are investing in new electricity capacity reducing the cost of connections and ensuring access to energy for all communities.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress he has made on upgrading smart meters in North Northumberland constituency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy suppliers are now able to install smart meters in the ‘North’ region using the 4G cellular mobile network, with 4G communication hubs available for rollout across Great Britain since July 2025.
4G operates alongside the existing long range radio solution in the North, giving energy suppliers an additional option for connectivity and improving installation success rates.
The Department does not collect data on smart meter installations at a constituency level. The latest statistics are available here: Smart meter statistics - GOV.UK
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
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 ensure that energy development project special purpose vehicles cover the financial liability of decommissioning.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department operates a statutory scheme under the Energy Act 2004 to ensure that those responsible for constructing offshore energy installations are responsible for covering the financial liability of decommissioning.
Regardless of how an installation has been funded, financial securities are accrued to DESNZ during the lifespan of the installation. The process for this is set out in published Guidance for Industry.
In the case of Special Purpose Vehicles, each party involved will contribute their share of the costs, by acceptable means that are set out in the Guidance.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
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 remove the mechanism in the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme that freezes bonus pension increase.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I am meeting the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees next month to discuss future surplus sharing arrangements. No decisions have been made yet.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on (a) agreeing a way forward on the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme and (b) considering the transfer of its investment reserve to its members.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is engaging with HM Treasury with a view to agreeing a way forward on the transfer of the reserve to members.
The Government is aiming to reach agreement on an outcome that can be implemented later this year which will benefit scheme members.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
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 impact of (a) levels of rurality, (b) local average temperature and (c) average age of housing on the implementation of the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings regardless of age or location.
Therefore, research was commissioned by the Department to develop a definition for housing stock for which the presence, and combination, of attributes and contextual factors can add complexity to improving energy efficiency and utilising low carbon heating solutions.
The government is currently carefully considering the findings of the research, which can be found at: (www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.)
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.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how solar schemes that contribute to residential energy efficiency are accounted for when measuring energy performance certificate ratings.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
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 plans to take to support rural properties to improve their energy efficiency.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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