Written questions by Dillon.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of being charged commercial electricity tariffs where the supply account is held in the name of a business on residential leaseholders.

The Government is committed to support domestic households with a non-domestic energy supply with their energy costs, and are very clear that resellers such as landlords should not profit from the act of reselling energy to consumers. Ofgem’s Maximum Resale Price (MRP) rules protect consumers from being overcharged by limiting the price of energy charged to consumers to the price paid by those procuring the energy. This includes tenants who pay their landlord for their energy. To ensure that businesses, are not being overcharged for energy, Ofgem is monitoring contracts in the non-domestic energy market.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage nature-positive renewable energy development.

Government will ensure that the protection of nature is embedded into the delivery of clean power and we will be driving for nature to not only be protected but restored through clean power infrastructure. In delivering our Clean Power Action Plan, we are considering how to use development to fund nature recovery unlocking a win-win outcome for the economy and for nature. We are working with Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trust and one of our Clean Power Commissioners, nature delivery organisations and the sector to consider how we can better support the delivery of infrastructure whilst driving better environmental outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting a phase-out date for fossil fuel heating systems.

We remain committed to delivering net zero and are clear this will require us to decarbonise virtually all heat in buildings. The previous Government planned to end the installation of new and replacement oil, LPG and coal heating systems in homes in England from 2035. This government has been clear on several occasions that we will not force anyone to rip out a working boiler, instead we will make use of all available data to inform future decisions on heat decarbonisation. We will soon publish our Warm Homes Plan which represents the biggest ever public investment in home upgrades. This will include support for clean heating technologies like heat pumps and heat networks.

Whether the electricity price assumptions in SAP and RdSAP will be updated to reflect the announced reduction in electricity bills.

Electricity price assumptions in the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and Reduced Data SAP (RdSAP) are set when each methodology is published and are not updated between versions. This ensures consistency for Energy Performance Certificates and related regulations. Updating assumptions mid-cycle would require a full methodology review and could alter EPC ratings, affecting compliance and fuel poverty metrics. The Department is maintaining stability ahead of planned 2026 reforms, when the Home Energy Model will replace SAP and EPC metrics will be reviewed. In the meantime, the “estimated yearly energy costs” shown on Energy Performance Certificates are periodically updated using the latest fuel price data, ensuring that indicative running cost information remains as current as possible for households.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) growth and (b) employment in the hydrogen sector.

The sector is nascent but is expected to grow significantly; the global hydrogen market could exceed $1 trillion by 2050, with the UK well positioned to capture a substantial share.We intend to publish a revised Hydrogen Strategy which will include the latest hydrogen jobs estimates and set out plans to optimise the job creation and economic benefits delivered by the UK hydrogen economy.We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain; working together with industry and unions to identify actions that support the skills and workforce needs of the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.

What plans he has to support low-income households with decarbonisation of homes in the context of the end of the Energy Company Obligation scheme by March 2026.

The Government has committed to additional grant funding of £1.5bn which will be directed towards upgrading low-income households, benefiting those in fuel poverty. Details of this will be included within the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan. The Government is also developing a new fuel poverty strategy for England to ensure that more households can afford to heat their home at a reasonable cost, slash fuel poverty and improve their quality of life. This will include funding energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating for social housing residents, lower income households, and renters, via the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant schemes.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of hydrotreated vegetable oil as a transitional heating solution for rural homes using oil heating.

The Government launched a consultation on 18 November to explore alternative clean heating solutions that may play a role in some homes, including renewable liquid fuels (RLFs) such as hydrotreated vegetable oil. The consultation will run for 12 weeks. The Government will review evidence from this consultation to help inform any future decision on whether or not to support the use of RLFs in heating.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the affordability of heat pump installation for households using oil heating in rural areas.

Government expects the transition to clean heat will involve installing a heat pump for most oil-heated homes as they are cost-effective, proven technologies and several government schemes support their installation. We will share more details in the Warm Homes Plan soon. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme has grants available for air source and ground source heat pumps of £7,500. There is also a 0% rate of VAT on heat pump installations until March 2027. Low income and fuel poor homes may be able to access support through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. We are undertaking research on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes and expect to receive results early next year.

What funding is available to support community energy projects in Newbury constituency.

Great British Energy (GBE) and the UK government will turbocharge support for local and community energy projects across the UK. In 2025/26, Great British Energy have allocated £5 million to the Great British Energy Community Fund (GBECF), a grant scheme designed to help community groups develop local clean power projects. £6.8 million has been allocated to maintain Local Net Zero Hubs located across England, which provide free expertise and resources to help local authorities deliver clear energy projects. GBE is in the process of developing its longer-term funding offer and strategic support for working with Local Government and Community Energy Groups, as well as working with devolved governments. This includes commercial, technical and project planning assistance to increase capability and capacity to build a pipeline of successful projects in local areas. As set out in their Strategic Plan, published on 4 December 2025, GBE aims to support over 1,000 local and community projects by 2030.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing all social and environmental levies from electricity bills.

The reductions in electricity prices announced at the Budget, particularly the reduction in the Renewables Obligation, are a significant step forward in our ambition to reduce electricity bills. As stated, we intend to set out more detail in our Warm Homes Plan as to how we can further target the savings announced in this Budget at electricity bills, including those from ending the ECO scheme. The Budget also delivers on the major principle that we should fund more of the investment we need in our energy system through public expenditure rather than levies, moving £7bn into public expenditure. We are delivering the biggest public investment in home energy efficiency ever, increasing the settlement we received at the Spending Review. We will subject new levies to enhanced scrutiny and ensure they represent value for money and do not impose unnecessary costs on households and businesses.

What steps he is taking to lower energy prices for people in Newbury constituency.

Thanks to decisions in Government's Autumn Budget, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will deliver an average £150 of costs off household energy bills from April 2026. As a result of this action, people in Newbury can expect to make a significant saving on their bills. In addition, in 2024-2025, 2,854 households (6.5%) in Newbury benefited from the Warm Home Discount - a £150 discount on their energy bill. This winter, we are expanding this discount so that around 6 million low-income households will receive this support, including an approximate additional 350,000 households in the South East region. Beyond these measures, this Government is taking back control of our energy to prevent the British people from being left exposed to price shocks caused by our dependence on fossil fuel markets. We are delivering the biggest investment in clean, low-cost energy in British history, so we can build a system that protects billpayers permanently.

What support is available to households requiring removal of spray foam insulation installed under government grant schemes.

In any instance where insulation is installed improperly under a government-backed scheme, consumers are entitled to remediation by their installer or, failing that, the insurance-backed guarantee. Where the measure has not been installed correctly, homeowners should contact their installer or use the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek redress (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner/information-guidance/if-things-go-wrong). As part of the Warm Homes Plan, Government is reviewing the entire landscape - from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. We are planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.

What assessment he has made of the suitability of current Seasonal Coefficient of Performance thresholds for high temperature heat pumps.

The current product standards regulations do not set distinct performance thresholds for high temperature heat pumps. The ecodesign heat pump efficiency standard applies to all heat pumps other than low temperature models. However, the government consulted in December 2024 on proposals for ‘raising product standards for space heating’. These included introducing a definition and standards for high temperature heat pumps. Under the proposals, this would be defined as any heat pump operating at 65°C flow temperature. The government will publish a response to that consultation in due course.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme regulations for heat pumps operating at flow temperatures between 65°C and 75°C.

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) stipulates that all heat pumps operating at flow temperatures above 35°C are required to be tested and meet a Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) of 2.8. Therefore, MCS holds heat pumps operating between 65 and 75°C to the same standards as other heat pumps. DESNZ consulted in December 2024 on “Raising product standards for space heating” which would introduce a definition and standards for high temperature heat pumps. This would be defined as any heat pump operating at 65°C. A Government Response will be issued in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to support the large scale retrofitting of heating systems in social housing.

We have committed £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan up to 2030, in line with our Manifesto commitment. This will support investment in low carbon heating, solar, batteries and insulation to up to 5 million homes across England. Within Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which launched earlier this year, in addition to targeted off-grid, low-carbon heating grant funding there is a new optional low-carbon heating funding incentive for homes on the gas grid. Up to 10% of on-grid homes in an application can access a £20,000 grant per home to install low-carbon heating measures.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that new housing developments have sufficient grid capacity to meet net zero requirements.

To ensure there is sufficient grid capacity to meet net zero, the government is delivering a major expansion of electricity networks. We are working with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to speed up delivery of new network infrastructure through reforms to planning, support for communities and strategic network design. We are also working with Ofgem to ensure its price control framework supports proactive investment in the local distribution network. This will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans, which will consider local requirements including ensuring timely reinforcement of networks for new housing developments.

Whether he plans to provide additional support for energy bills for people in Newbury in winter 2025.

The Government recognises that we need to support households in constituencies like Newbury and across the UK who struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from next winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs.The Government has been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support. Your constituents in Newbury can also visit the GOV.UK website, where extra cost-of-living support can be found: www.gov.uk/cost-of-living.The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inadequate infrastructure near army barracks on local communities' ability to install smart meters.

The Department is not aware of any evidence that the proximity of army barracks to a premises impacts energy suppliers’ ability to install smart meters.

Whether his Department plans to work with energy suppliers to improve energy infrastructure in the South of England to enable communities near army bases to install smart meters.

The Department is not aware of any evidence that the proximity of army barracks to a premises impacts energy suppliers’ ability to install smart meters.

What steps his Department is taking to support people in Newbury constituency with energy bills.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.We are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments. In addition, I have also worked with energy suppliers to agree a £500 million Winter Commitment to help customers struggling with bills this winter.