Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she accepts the conclusion in ADE: Demand's No Home Left Behind that low-income households are effectively paying five times more than wealthier families for clean heat; and what immediate steps she will take to close that gap.

Through the Warm Homes Plan (WHP), the Government is rolling out cost-effective, clean energy technologies that reduce bills including solar, batteries, and heat pumps.

Low-income households can access fully-funded grant support through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund where the grants will cover the full cost of measures installed including heating system upgrades. A total of £4.4 billion has been put aside for low-income schemes up to 2030.

Additionally, universal grants of up to £9,000 are available for heat pump installations through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and the WHP also committed to a brand-new scheme offering low interest, government-backed consumer loans supported with £2 billion of public funding.

We’re also taking direct action to reduce energy bills including removing VAT charges on electricity bills, removing policy costs at the last Budget worth an average of £150 per year, and expanding the Warm Homes Discount to six million households last winter and confirming that level of support for the rest of the decade.