Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what mechanisms were in place to ensure that Feed‑in Tariff registrations were correctly assigned to homeowners at commissioning; and what support is available to consumers where feed-in tariffs were not correctly assigned.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem administers the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme and maintains the Central FIT Register (CFR), which records accredited installations and their recipient, supporting correct assignment of payments. Suppliers must maintain accurate records on the CFR, which is subject to regular audit activity.
In some cases, payments may be assigned to a third party under separate contractual agreements. Such arrangements are commercial in nature and fall outside the FIT framework.
To confirm the recipient, homeowners may request information from Ofgem via an Ownership Register Query. Where appropriate, they may raise the matter with the relevant supplier, with unresolved complaints escalated to the Energy Ombudsman.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 adequacy of consumer transparency, accountability and protection in complex supply chains involving sales agents, installers, finance companies, insurers and certification bodies in government‑supported energy efficiency schemes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, our assessment is that the current consumer protection system is too fragmented and lacks sufficient oversight of the various actors involved in the delivery of government‑supported domestic retrofit schemes.
The Department is reforming the consumer protection system to simplify delivery and bring oversight under closer government control, and will consult on options for reform this year. This includes clearer accountability across supply chains, strengthened assurance arrangements, and improved monitoring and escalation processes.
We are working across Government, including MHCLG, and consumer experts from industry to develop and stress test plans.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many domestic Green Deal installations have been identified where MCS certificates were not issued in the name of the homeowner; and what steps his Department is taking to deal with those cases.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not have an estimate for the scale of the issue as we do not hold details of all Green Deal loans issued. Lack of an MCS certificate has appeared as an element in some Green Deal complaints the Department has reviewed, though this has been uncommon. Officials are investigating complaints referred to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Green Deal Framework Regulations, and may issue decisions cancelling or reducing a Green Deal loan where they find breaches of said regulations or the Green Deal Code of Practice. This may include issues related to MCS certificates.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to publish the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount Scheme 2023-2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount scheme 2023-24 is set in the Eligibility Statement which was published on 12th September 2023 and can be found here:
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of standing charges in the last 12 months.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
For financial year 2021-22, an investment of £100m by EDF in the Sizewell C project in January 2022 was provided by the Government through the Combined Option Agreement. In the same financial year, the Government provided a further £0.24m of innovation funding in 2021/22 to Sizewell C, together with partner organisations, through Phase 1 of the Direct Air Capture and other Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies competition, part of the Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.
In the financial year 2022-23, the Government’s planned expenditure on developing the Sizewell C project is £860m, with a further £0.5m provided as part of Phase 2 of the Direct Air Capture and other Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies competition.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households received funding from the Warm Home Discount Scheme in 2022-23; and how much funding was made available for the Warm Home Discount Scheme in that year.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The official statistics showed that 2.50 million households received a rebate under the Core Group in winter 2022/23, providing £374 million of support to low-income and vulnerable households. Warm Home Discount statistics - GOV.UK.
This does not include part of the scheme in Scotland delivered by participating energy suppliers which is known as the Broader Group. The statistics also do not include spending on Industry Initiatives, which are other financial and energy-related measures that suppliers deliver.
The final figures on the support provided in the 2022/23 scheme year will be confirmed in Ofgem’s annual report towards the end of the year.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department plans to publish a response to the Developing the UK Emissions Trading Scheme consultation, published 25 March 2022; and whether he plans to take steps to help ensure the international competitiveness of UK manufacturers at risk of carbon leakage.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Industrial participants in the UK ETS are provided with free allocations, reducing their exposure to the carbon price and mitigating the risk of carbon leakage. In a recent consultation the Government guaranteed free allocations at current levels until 2026, and as part of an ongoing review is looking at how to target support to sectors most at risk of carbon leakage. The UK ETS Authority will publish a response to the March 2022 consultation in due course.
The Government is also consulting on wider carbon leakage mitigations such as a carbon border adjustment mechanism and mandatory product standards.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many Warm Home Discount payments were issued in the period between (a) March 2021 and March 2022 and (b) March 2022 and March 2023.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 April 2023 to Question 181006.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households received a Warm Home Discount payment in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Energy and Climate to the Hon. Member for Angus on 19th January 2023 to Question 124091.
For the 2022-23 scheme year, the Government will publish statistics on eligibility in the summer.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme on the future energy prices paid by residents living in care and support accommodation.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including care and support accommodation. This follows a review of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme which engaged with a wide range of stakeholders from the private sector, trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations.
The Government will continue to provide funding for care home energy bills and up to £2.8 billion this year and £4.7 billion next year will be made available to support adult social care and discharge. This is equivalent to 200,000 additional care packages and the biggest funding increase in history.