Department for Work and Pensions: Energy

(asked on 13th December 2022) - View Source
Questioner
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Portrait
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
(Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which energy provider supplies energy to their Department; how much carbon dioxide was emitted by their Department in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria their Department uses to select an energy supplier include how environmentally friendly that supplier is; and what recent steps their Department has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its energy use.

Answered by
Mims Davies Portrait
Mims Davies
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 21st December 2022

DWP’s main energy suppliers are Total Energies for gas and EDF for electricity, these supplies are arranged in a tri-party contract with Crown Commercial Services (CCS). DWP aims to ensure all supplies are made with CCS. However, as the DWP acquires new properties, incumbent suppliers (whoever they may be) are adopted in the short term whilst the supply is changed over.

The below list includes suppliers that have served DWP in the last 6 months.

Supplier

Electricity

Gas

British Gas

Y

Bulb Energy

Y

Corona Energy

Y

Drax

Y

Ecotricity

Y

EDF Energy

Y

Engie

Y

Eon

Y

Eon Next

Y

Y

Npower

Y

Opus Energy

Y

Pozitive Energy

Y

Scottish Power

Y

Smartest Energy

Y

SSE

Y

Y

Totalenergies Gas & Power Ltd

Y

Y

Unify Energy Ltd

Y

United Gas & Power Limited

Y

How much carbon dioxide was emitted by their Department in the latest period for which figures are available?

  • 80,990.44 tonnes CO2e (Full Financial Year 21/22)
  • 32,695.64 Tonnes CO2e (First two quarters 22/23 - April 2022 to September 2022)*

*Spring and summer months

Whether the criteria their Department uses to select an energy supplier include how environmentally friendly that supplier is.

  • Crown Commercial Service (CCS) operates a centralised energy procurement strategy for central government and is responsible for selecting the gas and power supply companies on behalf of all departments. CCS is currently conducting its latest tender round on behalf of departments and the supplier environmental credentials will be part of the selection criteria.

What recent steps their Department has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its energy use

The department has a carbon and water management plan as well as a sustainability strategy and is currently running a number of projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. These include:

  • Introducing Solar panels
  • LED replacements
  • Ultra-low emission vehicle infrastructure installation
  • Monitoring and optimising Heating and Ventilation controls via a centralised Building Management System
  • Connecting to District Heat Networks (DHN) where appropriate for example at Quarry House, one of our hub sites in Leeds
  • Identifying opportunities to decarbonise the estate – e.g., air source heat pumps and undertaking decarbonisation plans
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