Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support households on heat networks who are not covered by the domestic price cap.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has been clear that domestic heat network consumers should expect the same level of support as other domestic energy consumers
Heat network consumers with domestic electricity contracts will receive capped electricity prices through the Energy Price Guarantee, credits of £400 on their electricity bills through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, reduced heat prices via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and, in addition, will receive £100 delivered through the Alternative Fuels Payment to be established by the Energy Prices Bill. Details of support can be found here.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the recent reduction in wholesale petrol and diesel costs is passed onto consumers.
Answered by Dean Russell
On the 11th June, the then Secretary of State wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to request an urgent review of the fuel market, as well as a longer-term market study under the Enterprise Act 2002, to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely affected consumer interests.
The CMA published their report on 8 July. Their initial findings indicated that the market for the supply of retail fuel in the UK appeared to be relatively competitive. On that basis we would expect reductions in wholesale costs to be passed onto consumers. Previous BEIS analysis has shown that both falls and rises in costs are passed through over the course of a few weeks.
The CMA did find some areas that warrant further investigation, and immediately launched a Market Study into the supply of road fuel in the UK. The study will enable the CMA to consider what more can be done to improve outcomes for consumers. It has said that it aims to complete this work well within the statutory 12 month time limit.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to help support glasshouse growers to heat their greenhouses in the context of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
HM Government Food Strategy published in June this year acknowledges the important role of industrial horticulture, including the contribution of glasshouse crop production in ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh produce throughout the year. Growth of this sector would boost home-grown fruit and vegetable production, help future-proof the sector in a warming climate and create new skilled job opportunities.
HM Government Food Strategy explains that industrial horticulture will be considered alongside other manufacturing sectors in decisions on industrial energy policy and that we will also incentivise the sector to make use of surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes, and renewable sources of energy. HM Government is developing a Horticulture Strategy for England which will explore how controlled environment horticulture can be supported.
In recognition of significant increases in energy costs, we have recently announced that businesses, charities and public sector organisations will be protected through HM Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme from October over the next six months. This support discounts price per unit of gas and electricity, meaning businesses and others will pay wholesale energy costs well below half of expected prices this winter.
Asked by: David Warburton (Independent - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will include any provision in the forthcoming fiscal statement for support for households with the rising cost of domestic heating oil.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Households who are connected to the electricity network but who use fuels other than gas, such as heating oil, to heat their homes will still receive support through the Energy Price Guarantee for their electricity costs, as well as the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme.
Where households are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee, the Government will provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil, where despite significant increases, prices have risen at a lower rate than wholesale natural gas.
Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2022 to Question 45708 on Commodity Markets: Fossil Fuels, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of financial speculation on the underlying price of crude oil and natural gas in global markets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The responsibility for the integrity of trading in oil and gas derivatives falls under the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which regulates the financial services industry in the UK, including commodity trading venues.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of rising energy prices on off-grid communities that are reliant on oil.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Households not on standard gas or electricity contracts, such as those in rural areas, will receive equivalent support to that provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and the Energy Price Guarantee. The Government is working at pace to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support. As part of this, for households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil.
Asked by: Bim Afolami (Conservative - Hitchin and Harpenden)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support people in Hitchin and Harpenden constituency with the price of (a) heating oil and (b) gas for private homes.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government recognises that heating oil prices have risen steeply over the past year and sympathises with consumers who rely on this fuel for everyday use.
The Government has announced a new energy price guarantee to reduce bills for households on gas and electricity by an average of £1,000 for the typical household. For households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the energy support costs provided for unregulated fuels will be (a) discretionary funding or (b) provided in full.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is committed to ensuring all households receive equivalent levels of support for their energy bills.
In June 2022, the Government announced the Energy Bills Support Scheme which will provide £400 to all households, including those using alternative fuels, starting in October 2022.
The Government will also provide an additional payment of £100 to households across the UK who are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee. This might be because they live in an area of the UK that is not served by the gas grid and is to compensate for the rising costs of alternative fuels, such as heating oil.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support people who live in rural areas and use (a) heating oil and (b) liquified natural gas for domestic heating.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government understands fuel prices are an important component of UK household and business expenditures, and understands the negative impact of domestic fuel costs on UK consumers.
The Government has announced a new energy price guarantee to reduce bills for households on gas and electricity by an average of £1,000 for the typical household. For households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil..
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to hold discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on the potential merits of zero-rating VAT on domestic fuel.
Answered by Richard Fuller
The Government has announced a new 'Energy Price Guarantee' to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity. This will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October.
In recognition of the fact that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, domestic fuels such as gas, electricity, and heating oil are already subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent.