Written questions by Newbury.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of battery enabled boilers could make on decarbonising domestic heating in smaller homes.

Heat batteries, sometimes referred to as ‘battery enabled boilers’, can utilise time-of-use tariffs and do not require outside space; however, they are less efficient than heat pumps. Heat batteries could meet the needs of some smaller homes, however if they do not have sufficient storage capacity they could draw electricity at peak times, adding burden on the electricity network and increasing energy bills. Government will continue to review our position on heat batteries, as the supporting evidence base develops, including considering evidence from the Homes for Net Zero project.

What proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles.

In FY24-25, DESNZ had 149 hires, including 6 electric vehicles. The data for FY25-26 to date is not yet available. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was formed in February 2023, therefore there is no data for DESNZ prior to that date. Additionally, for FY23-24 the car hire contract used was still under DESNZ’s predecessor department, Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and all bookings were assigned to BEIS cost centres. It is not possible to determine which of these hires related to DESNZ.

What plans his Department has to use biomethane generated from mandatory food waste collections from 2026-27 for (a) injection into the gas grid and (b) combustion for electricity generation.

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion (AD) and injected into the gas grid. It is expected to contribute 10.7MTCO2e of carbon savings over its lifetime. The GGSS requires that at least 5...

What steps his Department is taking to support the production of biomethane on farms using organic waste.

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion (AD) and injected into the gas grid. It is expected to contribute 10.7MTCO2e of carbon savings over its lifetime. The GGSS requires that at least 5...

How many recipients of pensions under the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme in Cannock Chase constituency will be affected by the Government's return of money from the investment reserve fund to th

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November to Question UIN 12551.

How many (a) pensioners and (b) dependents are recipients of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in Cannock Chase constituency.

We are unable to provide the breakdown requested. However, information from the trustees shows that, as at October 2024, the number of pensioner and dependant members in Cannock Chase was 530.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) returning the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme investment reserve to scheme members and (b) commissioning a review into future investme

The Government has ended the injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) and agreed the transfer the Investment Reserve Fund to members, so that the mineworkers who powered our country receive a fairer pension. The resulting bonus will increase pen...

What steps his Department is taking to help decarbonise the gas grid.

The Government is committed to transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower, including providing the country with clean power by 2030, reducing bills, and transitioning homes to low carbon heating through the Warm Homes Plan. Gas will continue to p...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential cost to the public purse of decommissioning the gas grid.

The Government is committed to transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower, including providing the country with clean power by 2030, reducing bills, and transitioning homes to low carbon heating through the Warm Homes Plan. Gas will continue to p...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the gas grid to support the decarbonisation of (a) domestic and (b) industrial space heating.

The Government is committed to transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower, including providing the country with clean power by 2030, reducing bills, and transitioning homes to low carbon heating through the Warm Homes Plan. Gas will continue to p...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating a single service to advise households on (a) energy efficiency in the home and (b) financial support available for

Improving energy efficiency and decarbonising buildings is a crucial element in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. This will also lower energy bills and support the reduction of Fuel Poverty. This is why the Government is going further...

Whether his Department plans to introduce (a) low- and (b) no-cost finance for domestic energy efficiency measures in its Warm Homes Plan.

The Government recognises the important role private finance can play in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions.As part of the Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance to support homeowners with the upf...

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for increasing the number of heat pump installations.

Up to the end of August 2024, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has paid out 32,572 vouchers towards low carbon heating systems. The Government is carrying out an independent evaluation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with its first set of interim findings due to b...

What steps his Department is taking to tackle fraud in the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

The Department works with the scheme administrator, Ofgem, to investigate and address any suspected misconduct under the ECO scheme. Dedicated work is ongoing on external assurance to review processes and procedures, and strengthening of fraud controls in...