Net Zero Transition: Consumer-led Flexibility

Debate between Jim Shannon and James Naish

Tuesday 9th December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon]

I thank my hon. Friend for that; it was my next point. He is right: I have not met anybody who does not want to improve the environment or support the net zero targets, but they want to do so in a way that does not disadvantage them inadvertently. It is very important that we try to achieve that.

Back home in Northern Ireland, this is crucial, because of the point that my hon. Friend referred to. We have a very specific issue in that 68%—two thirds—of Northern Ireland homes use oil heating, which is more than anywhere else in the UK. Fuel poverty rates are also historically high, I suspect, as a result. I have oil in my house, as do all the farmhouses in the countryside, and there is very little access to gas except on specific estates in Newtownards and perhaps a bit in Ballynahinch and Saintfield as well.

Furthermore, according to the 2023 update from housing statistics, only about 39% of dwellings have a rating of band C or higher, especially in rural areas, which is a very large section of my Strangford constituency. Few homes have access to gas in Northern Ireland and there are no alternative decarbonisation pathways, so we have to be realistic about trying to achieve the goals in a way that does not bring people down to not only fuel poverty but poverty overall.

I welcome the Government’s commitment to try to address some of those things, but perhaps the Minister can give us some ideas on how we can help our constituents in Northern Ireland—both mine and those of my hon. Friend the Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell).

[James Naish]

The hon. Gentleman is outlining a range of issues that make it difficult for people to reduce their bills. Does that not highlight the benefit of flexibility, because it would give people greater control, empower them and give them information, so that they can control their bill as best as possible? That is why we have to lead with a flexibility-first approach.

[Jim Shannon]

The reality is that, although people subscribe to the idea and wish to develop the net zero targets, it is about how that sits in their pockets. That is the ultimate goal that people reflect on. I am no better than anybody else, and my constituents are telling me—as I am sure they are telling every other MP in here—that Christmas is coming. I stay across the river at the Park Plaza hotel, and I asked a guy last night, “Are youse busy today?”, and he said, “No. It’s much quieter than it’s been for a long, long time.” He surmised that it was because it is Christmas and people are cutting back. It is the same back home. As I said before, I have not met anybody who does not want to achieve the net zero goal, but it is about how the Government help them to reach it.

There are income inequalities and geographic inequalities in Northern Ireland, and they interact strongly with affordability—it is a key issue. There is also poor uptake of smart meters in Northern Ireland, so many people end up paying way more as a result of estimates. That is another critical factor. The Minister travels to Northern Ireland regularly, so that might be an opportunity to get his thoughts across to the relevant Minister back home on how we can achieve some of these goals.

When we talk about consumer-led flexibility, the conversation must be about giving households the ability to shift their energy use to cheaper, cleaner times of the day. There are things that can be done, and things that the Government are helping people with, which I know the Northern Ireland Assembly are also trying to take advantage of, but when it comes to smart technologies and fairer tariffs, and generating or storing energy locally, how can they be achieved? That vision will work only if ordinary people can access and afford the technology and infrastructure required, but too many households are being left behind. Rural households face higher charges and costs, and the up-front expense is simply too much. I know that this is a critical issue, but we can never move away from thinking about affordability, as my constituents tell me.

Consumer-led flexibility should be not something that happens to communities, but something that communities shape, benefit from and own. To respond to the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish), if consumers can see it as part of what they want to achieve and the Government can help them in that transition, it is a win-win for everyone. Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK have enormous potential: world-leading renewable resources, strong communities and a desire for a cleaner and more secure energy future. Let us build an energy system that works for everyone in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—not just for today, but for my children, my grandchildren and generations to come.