Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rising heating oil prices on low‑income households in semi‑rural areas; and what steps she plans to take to help ensure these households are not disadvantaged compared with mains‑connected customers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely over coming days and weeks.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor has announced £53m for low income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. This funding will be available to the Northern Ireland Executive, Wales, and Scotland. This funding is allocated as part of the Crisis Resilience fund and will be distributed by local authorities. Local Authorities have responsibility for distributing funds to households. More information can be found here: Over £50 million to help families struggling with soaring heating oil costs - GOV.UK
Households using heating oil also benefit from wider cost‑of‑living support, including electricity bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget, and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off energy bills annually until 2030/31.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to review the regulatory framework governing the energy supply to small businesses; and what steps he is taking to ensure that it reflects the practical needs and vulnerabilities of small enterprises.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.
The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how OFGEM monitors the adequacy of the energy market for small businesses; and what enforcement action has been taken in the last three years against suppliers found to be overcharging small business customers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.
The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with OFGEM regarding the potential impact of its guidance on the pricing practices of energy suppliers towards small businesses.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Licence conditions and compliance and enforcement matters, for both domestic and non-domestic customers, are a matter for Ofgem as the sector regulator.
The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. That’s why the Government has decided to regulate Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This will improve consumer outcomes and enhance consumer protections for non-domestic consumers, particularly charities and small businesses. Regulation will be introduced once parliamentary time allows.
Since December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. We consulted in late 2025 on measures to strengthen the Ombudsman’s tools for ensuring suppliers implement decisions in a timely manner.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has met with representatives of the eco‑homes and retrofit sector to discuss the risk of redundancies arising from the time period between Energy Company Obligation and its successor scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households.
For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities.
Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has conducted an economic impact assessment of the transition period between the Energy Company Obligation and the Warm Homes Plan on small and medium‑sized enterprises in the home‑retrofit industry.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, What the £1.5 billion transition fund announced for the period between ECO and its successor scheme will cover; and when guidance for businesses on accessing this funding will be published.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The £1.5 billion extra funding allocated to the Warm Homes Plan at the Budget will be spent on low-income households. This takes the total capital investment in the Warm Homes Plan to £15 billion – the largest ever public investment in home upgrades.
This comes on top of the measures announced at the Budget, which took an average of £150 of costs off energy bills from April 2026.
From 2025-28, funding for low-income home upgrades will be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and the Warm Homes: Local Grant as previously announced, to help millions of households benefit from solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation that can save a typical household £550 a year compared to a gas boiler – reducing our exposure to the volatile international fossil fuel markets which have driven the cost-of-living crisis.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity of work for companies delivering insulation, heating upgrades, and other energy‑efficiency measures during the transition from the Energy Company Obligation to the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
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 potential impact on the Government’s net‑zero and home‑energy‑efficiency targets of delays in implementing the Warm Homes Plan.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our landmark £15 billion Warm Homes Plan is already delivering on our commitment to lower energy bills and upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030, as evidenced by BUS-supported heat pump installations rising 40% in the year to November 2025 compared with the previous year. We have also committed to other home upgrade targets such as raising minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector and deploying solar panels on the rooftops of up to 3 million more homes by 2030. The government is committed to its net zero targets, tackling fuel poverty, and strengthening our energy security.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
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 estimate of the number of jobs potentially at risk in the Energy Company Obligation supply chain as a result of the gap between the closure of ECO and the implementation of its successor scheme.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that ending ECO presents challenges for the supply chain. We will support the transition to opportunities provided by the Warm Homes Plan, in particular the additional £1.5 billion for upgrading low-income households. For this additional funding, we will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. Officials are also working with the Department for Business and Trade on support that can be provided to employees and companies in the construction sector during this time.