Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what barriers to heat network deployment his department has identified, and what steps are being taken to help tackle them.

In the Warm Homes Plan we set out several barriers to heat network deployment, including high upfront capital costs, limited investment certainty, supply chain and skills constraints, and low consumer confidence due to historic issues around pricing and reliability.

The government is addressing these by introducing heat network zoning in England to provide long‑term certainty, expanding capital support through funds such as the Green Heat Network Fund, and strengthening regulation to improve consumer protection and trust. It is also supporting supply chain growth and skills development.