Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with businesses in Bristol South constituency on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on those businesses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Bristol South constituency, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.
The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, the cut to fuel duty for 12 months and raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. In addition, at the Autumn Statement, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.
A new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) was announced on 9 January, which will mean all eligible UK businesses, including those in Bristol South, will receive a discount on high energy bills from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol 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 an estimate of the number of homes that have been retrofitted through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in Bristol South constituency since the introduction of that fund.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period. The SHDF Demonstrator and Wave 1 awarded a combined total of around £240m of grant funding to Local Authorities, with data held on local authority-led projects rather than at a constituency level. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition, which closed on 18th November 2022, will allocate up to £800m of grant funding, with successful projects likely to be notified in March 2023.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol 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 his Department is taking to increase the rate of energy efficiency measure installations in homes in Bristol South constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to improving the energy performance of homes across the country, including in Bristol South.
The Government is already investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures.
An additional £6 billion of new Government funding, announced in the Autumn Statement, will be made available from 2025 to 2028. This provides long-term funding certainty, supporting the growth of supply chains, and ensuring the UK can scale up delivery over time.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many jobs the Green Homes Grant has supported in Bristol South constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the voucher scheme, including analysis of scheme outcomes and evidence collected from scheme applicants and other stakeholders, is being undertaken by an independent research organisation. The evaluation includes an assessment of the effect of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme on jobs at national level with findings available in Summer 2023.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when payments under the (a) Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund and (b) Alternative Fuel Payments Fund will begin.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is working to finalise the details of EBSS Alternative Funding and have the process up and running for applications this winter. Eligibility, timescales and method of delivery of will be announced in the coming weeks.
For the Alternative Fuel Payments, the Government will deliver this £200 payment to eligible households as soon as possible this Winter. The Government will announce further information on the delivery and timing of these payments in due course.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people on prepayment meters have (a) applied and (b) been approved for the Warm Home Discount scheme in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Greg Hands
Energy suppliers are responsible for administering the Warm Home Discount and applying rebates to their eligible customers’ accounts. They are not required to report on the number of rebates issued to customers broken down by the payment methods their customers use for their energy bills. We therefore do not hold data on the number of prepayment customers who receive the Warm Home Discount rebate.
We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people on prepayment meters have been (a) issued with and (b) redeemed discount vouchers after successfully being approved for the Warm Home Discount scheme in each of the last five years.
Answered by Greg Hands
Energy suppliers are responsible for administering the Warm Home Discount and applying rebates to their eligible customers’ accounts. They are not required to report on the number of rebates issued to customers broken down by the payment methods their customers use for their energy bills. We therefore do not hold data on the number of prepayment customers who receive the Warm Home Discount rebate.
We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol 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 the Government taken to help increase energy suppliers outreach programmes that help people with prepayment meters to apply for the Warm Home Discount scheme.
Answered by Greg Hands
In the 2021/22 scheme year, all low-income pensioners who are potentially eligible for a rebate under the Warm Home Discount Core Group will have received a letter from the Government by mid-December 2021, regardless of their energy bill payment method. Most will receive the rebate automatically; in 2020/21, around 95% of Core Group recipients received their rebates automatically. In addition, the Warm Home Discount website is widely signposted and used by consumer groups, charities, and energy comparison websites to maximise uptake.
Energy suppliers are responsible for administering their Broader Group rebates, including setting their eligibility criteria and providing the rebates to eligible households. Suppliers make their customers aware of the scheme and are usually over-subscribed with applications.
We consulted last summer on reforms to the scheme that would enable the vast majority of customers to receive their rebate automatically, without the need to apply. We will publish the Government’s Response in the spring, with the reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.