Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the amount of additional electricity demand that will result from (a) heat pumps in residential homes and (b) domestic electric vehicle charging.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Net Zero Strategy sets out how electricity demand is likely to increase by 40-60% by 2035, including increased demand from electric vehicles and heat pumps.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that apartment blocks can receive signals for smart meters so as to allow for the charging of electric vehicles.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Energy suppliers are working on solutions to extend the range of the smart meter Home Area Network, and are already rolling out a “dual band” communications hub which can operate on two different frequencies and therefore serve many previously hard to reach flats and tower blocks.
The Government is working with industry to ensure a technical solution is developed for the small minority of properties that cannot be served by the new “dual band” communications hub.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the location of electric meters in block of flats on the ability of residents to connect to smart meters and charge electric vehicles.
Answered by Greg Hands
Energy suppliers are working together on solutions to extend the range of the smart meter Home Area Network. Energy suppliers are now rolling out a new type of communications hub which can operate on different frequencies and therefore serve many previously hard to reach flats and tower blocks.
Legislation came into force on the 15th June 2022 which requires all new homes and buildings in England, including blocks of flats, and those undergoing major renovation, with associated parking to install a charge point. These requirements provide best value for money by avoiding more costly retrofitting in the future.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to require retailers to sell one pair of different size shoes to people who have two different sized feet as a result of a disability or toe amputation.
Answered by Paul Scully
This is a matter for individual retailers. However, the Government would encourage retailers to make reasonable adjustments to their store polices to cater for all consumers.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data his Department holds on the number of disconnections of customers in England for non-payment of (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in each of the last five years.
Answered by Greg Hands
Ofgem, as the independent regulator of the gas and electricity markets, publishes details on the number of customer disconnections on their website:
This information is available up to Q2 2021 and dates back to Q1 2006. Ofgem regulates the market in Great Britain, so this data is for customers in Great Britain.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data his Department holds on the number of disconnections of customers in England for non-payment of (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in each of the last five years.
Answered by Greg Hands
It has not proved possible to respond to the rt. hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the energy price cap does not apply to commercial meters for communal areas in the blocks of flats.
Answered by Greg Hands
The energy price cap was introduced following a two-year investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which identified that domestic consumers on default tariffs were paying a loyalty penalty.
The CMA found no evidence of a loyalty penalty for consumers supplied via their landlord rather than being supplied directly to a meter in their home. Landlords purchase energy via a negotiated commercial supply contract. Ofgem has a rule in place limiting the maximum resale price at which landlords can resell gas or electricity to their tenants.
The Government is committed to legislating within this parliament to regulate the heat networks sector. In December the Government announced that Ofgem will take on the role of regulator and have new powers to regulate prices in this sector.