Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the additional annual cost to households in Bradford caused by delays in delivering large-scale home insulation programmes since 2019.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

No estimates have been made on the delays of home insulation programmes since 2019. We know improving the energy efficiency of our homes is an important step in reducing fuel poverty.

There are several government energy efficiency schemes and households can access the government's home retrofit tool on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency), which allows users to get tailored recommendations for home improvements that could make their property cheaper to heat and keep warm.

This government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps. We will publish more details soon.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress her Department has made in meeting the targets set out in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan; and what assessment she has made of the implications of current progress for households in high-poverty areas such as Bradford East.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan set out how the UK will reduce emissions and benefit from lower bills, skilled jobs, warmer homes and cleaner air. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan, which will be a major step forward to cut energy bills for good. Scaling up new clean energy industries will create opportunities to actively reduce inequalities and create good jobs. We will continue to invest in clean low-cost energy. Our approach to the transition is built on fairness, ensuring everyone reaps the benefits and that no one is left behind.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to end the higher standing charges paid by prepayment meter users; and if she will make an assessment of the impact of that inequality on low-income families in Bradford East.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Since 1 April 2024, under the price cap, Ofgem has levelised standing charges for prepayment meter and direct debit customers and implemented a process of cost reconciliation for suppliers. This reduces the standing charges of consumers with prepayment meters, while each direct debit consumer pays more than they would have otherwise done.

This ends the inequity of people with prepayment meters, many of whom are vulnerable, being charged more up-front for their energy than other consumers. The Government knows too much of the burden of the energy bill is placed on standing charges. We are working with Ofgem to address this.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish regional breakdowns of households spending more than 20 per cent of disposable income on energy, including figures for Bradford, as part of the annual Fuel Poverty Statistics.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is currently reviewing our approach to affordability metrics, following the consultation published earlier this year on the review of the fuel poverty strategy. We will provide further updates in our upcoming fuel poverty strategy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the level of fuel poverty in Bradford; and what steps her Department is taking to support households spending more than a quarter of their income on energy bills.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In 2023, 18.7% of households in the Bradford East parliamentary constituency were estimated to be in fuel poverty.

It is imperative that fuel poor homes benefit from the transition to net zero. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good and will publish more details soon. We will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country, including those in Bradford, and the transition to warmer, decarbonised homes. This will include support for the most vulnerable to help slash fuel poverty.

There are multiple targeted schemes in place to deliver energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to low income and fuel poor households. Schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, and the new Warm Homes: Local Grant.

Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount schemes which provide eligible low-income households across Great Britain with £150 off their winter energy bill. 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 bill costs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding has been allocated to clean energy and green industrial projects in West Yorkshire since July 2024; and what steps she is taking to ensure that Bradford benefits from those investments.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Since July 2024, over £52 billion of private investment has already been announced into the UK’s clean energy industries for projects and plans over the coming years.

Recent projects supported by Government include two district heat networks in West Yorkshire which have received funding from the Local Net Zero Accelerator programme, Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 benefitting projects like the Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen project and GBE placing solar panels on NHS sites in Bradford and beyond.

As part of the Industrial Strategy, the Government is committed to devolving significant powers to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) across England, giving them the tools they need to grow their sectoral clusters and improve the local business environment.

Local Growth Plans are a cornerstone of the place-based approach. These locally owned, 10-year strategies will set out how MCAs will use their devolved powers and funding to drive growth in their region.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to increase funding to local authorities such as Bradford Council to support the delivery of local home retrofit and insulation programmes as part of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.

Answered by Katie White - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, the Government is committed to working in partnership with local places like Bradford to deliver net zero, and is pursuing policies which upgrade homes with more efficient clean energy technologies, cut bills and deliver warmer homes. This includes our planned £13.2bn investment in the Warm Homes Plan, which aims to upgrade up to 5 million homes over this Parliament and cut energy bills for good. Further detail on the Warm Homes Plan will be announced soon.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes in Bradford East are expected to benefit from the Government’s Warm Homes Plan; and what estimate she has made of the average annual saving per household from those upgrades.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is working on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households, including those in Bradford, to cut energy bills for good and will publish more details soon.

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