To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Heat Trust
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department holds data on how many and what proportion of heat network suppliers are registered with the Heat Trust (a) in total and (b) operating in Battersea.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Data on Heat Trust membership is owned by Heat Trust rather than BEIS. Heat Trust publishes information on registered participants and sites here: https://heattrust.org/members.

BEIS does not currently publish data on the number of unique heat suppliers, but does publish estimates for the number of heat network sites. BEIS has not estimated a breakdown of heat network sites by constituency, but has published a breakdown by local authority. The most recent published data identified 13,995 heat networks in the UK, of which 111 heat networks were identified in the local authority of Wandsworth (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-trends-march-2018-special-feature-article-experimental-statistics-on-heat-networks).


Written Question
District Heating: Standards
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

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 help ensure that heat network suppliers maintain adequate consumer service standards.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill introduces a regulatory framework for heat networks. Under the proposed regulatory framework, Ofgem will be given new powers to regulate prices in this sector. The legislation contains the ability for government to set minimum efficiency standards for heat networks. Ofgem will also have powers to set rules requiring heat networks to disclose publicly sufficient information to the consumer to understand how much they are paying. This includes fixed charges, tariffs, and unit rates, and clear explanations about how prices are set and how heat network consumers are billed.


Written Question
Heat Network Efficiency Scheme: Battersea
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Heat Network suppliers operating in Battersea constituency have applied for the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme grant support programme.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES), the Government's £32m grant programme, will be opening for applications in early February 2023 with the first funding round closing to applicants on 31st March 2023. The HNES Demonstrator, which ran from October 2021 to March 2022, received one application from a heat network project in Nine Elms, Battersea.


Written Question
Heat Network Efficiency Scheme
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many applications have been made to the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme as of 24 January 2023; and how much and what proportion of that scheme's funding had been allocated by that date.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES), the Government's £32m grant programme, will be opening for applications in early February 2023 with the first funding round closing to applicants on 31st March 2023. As of 24 January 2023, the Government has not received any applications, nor allocated any funding.


Written Question
Heat Network Efficiency Scheme
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to increase the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme grant support programme in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) has £32m of grants across 2023/24 and 2024/25. There are no plans to increase this funding.


Written Question
Energy: Meters
Tuesday 31st January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to prevent energy suppliers from requiring customers to switch to energy prepayment meters.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Prepayment meters (PPMs) allow customers to pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping avoid debt and court action. A ban on PPM switching as a last resort could lead to an increase in bailiff action. There are no plans to remove this option.

Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of PPMs. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem asking it to conduct a review to make sure suppliers are complying with those rules. The Business Secretary has also asked energy suppliers to commit voluntarily to stopping this practice.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Battersea
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

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 support small businesses in Battersea in the context of the cost of living crisis.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Businesses in Battersea will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of 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 and Energy Bill Discount Schemes will protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. The Autumn Statement, announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.


Written Question
Voluntary Organisations: Energy
Thursday 26th January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

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 support voluntary and faith groups with increased energy bills during the cost of living crisis.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible non-domestic customers, including voluntary and faith groups, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HMT led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.


Written Question
District Heating: Battersea
Monday 23rd January 2023

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

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 publish a list of all registered district heat networks in Battersea constituency.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Data collected through the Heat Networks (Metering & Billing) Regulations can currently only be published in an aggregated manner, due to the Privacy Notice. The Government is considering options to amend the Privacy Notice to facilitate publication that will provide greater public transparency about heat networks operating in the UK, and support the Heat Network Zoning programme.


Written Question
District Heating: Energy Price Guarantee
Wednesday 9th November 2022

Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)

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 people who use heat networks are classed as non-domestic users under the energy price cap.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Heat network operators usually purchase energy to supply heat through commercial contracts on behalf of their consumers. This can be more cost effective for consumers, as commercial purchase rates tend to be lower than domestic ones.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for GB & NI will enable the Government to provide financial assistance for all eligible non-domestic customers, including heat network operators, to ensure they are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.