Written questions by Ramsay.

With reference to ADE: Heat Networks report entitled Clean Heat 2040 report, whether he plans to rebalance energy policy costs for heat networks away from electricity bills.

The government recognises that high electricity prices are a significant pressure on industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We are continuing to develop further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas, and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses and organisations.

With reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040" what assessment his Department has made of the case for extending to heat networks the same long-term revenue support mechanisms that are already provided to nuclear power and carbon capture projects.

The government recognises the conclusion of the report that electricity prices are a significant pressure on the heat network industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We intend to consult on options to reduce costs, provide longer-term certainty and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses including heat networks.

With reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040", what plans he has to mandate that industrial plants and data centres make their surplus heat available for district heating networks.

Heat Network zoning equips communities and local government with the tools to accelerate the development of low carbon heat networks and ensure that more homes and businesses can have access to greener, cheaper heat. Through heat network zoning, certain types of buildings and heat sources can be required to connect to a network within a prescribed timeframe. This will allow for large-scale strategic heat networks to be built in towns and cities across the country.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of renewable energy deployment on energy price stability for domestic consumers.

The Prime Minister and the Government is committed to delivering clean power because it gives us energy security, protects households and businesses from global price shocks, helps tackle the climate crisis and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs across Britain. The independent NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable and more secure, and could see a lower electricity cost and bills. We are delivering on our ambitious plan to move our electricity system to clean power that we control – reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and protecting everyone from future price spikes.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of renewable energy deployment on long-term energy prices for domestic consumers.

The Prime Minister and the Government is committed to delivering clean power because it gives us energy security, protects households and businesses from global price shocks, helps tackle the climate crisis and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs across Britain. The independent NESO set out pathways to a clean power system in 2030, and confirmed it was deliverable and more secure, and could see a lower electricity cost and bills. We are delivering on our ambitious plan to move our electricity system to clean power that we control – reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and protecting everyone from future price spikes.

What steps his Department is taking to move off-grid rural communities dependent on heating oil to a renewable-based energy system.

The £15 billion Warm Homes Plan includes an offer for everyone, including those living in rural areas and off the gas grid. The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund support eligible households to upgrade their homes, with measures including insulation, solar, batteries, and heat pumps. All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries. Additionally, the Government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a Government response will follow in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to help support off-grid rural communities dependent on heating oil as part of a transition to a renewable energy system.

The £15 billion Warm Homes Plan includes an offer for everyone, including those living in rural areas and off the gas grid. The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund support eligible households to upgrade their homes, with measures including insulation, solar, batteries, and heat pumps. All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries. Additionally, the Government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a government response will follow in due course.

If he will consider the potential merits of introducing additional measures to help protect rural households from volatility in international fossil fuel markets.

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy costs. We are determined to fight the corner of all those affected by the rise in heating oil prices, and the Government recognises the significant pressures these increases place on households in rural communities. The Prime Minister has been clear his number one domestic priority is helping families with the cost-of-living. To that end, the Government has announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and we are looking at what further support may be needed. The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

Whether he plans to take further steps to support rural households in the context of volatility in global fossil fuel markets.

The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy costs. We are determined to fight the corner of all those affected by the rise in heating oil prices, and the Government recognises the significant pressures these increases place on households in rural communities. The Prime Minister has been clear his number one domestic priority is helping families with the cost-of-living. To that end, the Government has announced £53 million for low-income families, who heat their homes with oil to help tackle surging prices. The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and we are looking at what further support may be needed. The measures taken in the Autumn Budget reduce the cost of electricity and therefore benefit all households with a domestic electricity meter, including those not on the gas grid. In addition, on 30 January, we announced the continuation of the Warm Home Discount scheme until 2030/31, providing around 6 million eligible households with the £150 rebate on their energy bills each winter.

What steps his Department is taking to decouple the price of wholesale electricity from the cost of gas beyond moving more renewables into Contracts for Difference.

The Government is determined to increase the share of renewables on the system so that the electricity price is set by cheaper clean power sources rather than gas. Every wind turbine we switch on and solar panel we deploy helps push gas off as the price setter. The Contracts for Difference scheme remains one of our most successful initiatives for doing this. However, this sits alongside other flagship renewable energy policies, including removing the ban on onshore wind within 72 hours of taking office, and the most significant programme of investment in homegrown clean energy in British history – with £61.9bn in capital funding committed in the Spending Review.

What assessment his Department has undertaken on the proposal put forward by Greenpeace UK and Stonehaven in their Power Shift report to move gas-fired power stations into a Regulated Asset Base strategic reserve.

This government has been clear that the answers to the challenges around energy security, affordability and sustainability point in the same direction – clean energy. Under current market frameworks, technologies with the lowest marginal cost dispatch first. Unabated gas is already at the bottom of the merit order, meaning it already dispatches last. By 2030 unabated gas will account for less than 5% of total generation. As low‑carbon technologies are deployed at scale, gas will increasingly shift to a reserve role in the system, meaning it will set electricity prices less often over time, reducing consumers’ exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. As the role of unabated gas diminishes, we will continue to explore how market and system arrangements can evolve to minimise its impact on consumer bills, including considering the potential benefits and risks of alternative market reforms.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of wide area network (WAN) coverage required for smart meter functionality in Waveney Valley constituency; what information her Department holds on the number of households in that constituency that were deemed ineligible for smart meter installation due to insufficient (a) WAN and (b) 4G connectivity; and what plans her Department has to help improve connectivity in rural areas.

The Department does not collect data on smart meter installations at a constituency level. The latest statistics are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/smart-meters-in-great-britain-quarterly-update-september-2025. The Government is working closely with the Data Communications Company (DCC) - the licensed body responsible for providing communication and data services for smart metering in Great Britain - and energy suppliers to ensure smart meter connectivity can be extended to currently unserved properties in all regions as soon as reasonably possible. One solution currently being trialled will involve a Virtual Wide Area Network (VWAN) - a new option that, with their consent, uses customers’ broadband connections to carry smart metering communications.

Whether his Department has considered using GB Energy to invest in reducing the carbon footprint of the general practice estate.

Great British Energy has funded rooftop solar for 250 schools and around 260 NHS sites. This is cutting bills for schools and hospitals, releasing money for frontline services. For GPs that aren’t part of these NHS sites, they can access the Boiler Upgrade Scheme accessing £7,500 towards a heat pump and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler. As set out in the Local Power Plan (Local Power Plan | Great British Energy) published on 10 February 2026 GBE will be announcing their new support schemes in Spring 2026. You can sign up on their website to find out more.

What plans his Department has to improve GPs access to decarbonisation schemes to help them meet NHS Net Zero targets.

The Government is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of the GP estate. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, GP facilities can receive £7,500 for heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass boilers. We also help fund the UK Business Climate Hub, an online resource supporting SMEs identify and implement changes to their energy use.

If he will review his Department's conversion factors for GHG reporting for (a) bioenergy and (b) WTT bioenergy in the light of the most recent remote sensing data from independent system(s) of Earth Observation measurements.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given on 4 September to Question UIN 69532 which describes the review process used to update conversion factors. This includes for the conversion factors for bioenergy and well-to-tank bioenergy. The UK is one of only a handful of countries currently reporting the validation of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions based on atmospheric measurements. The National Inventory Steering Committee considers this information, alongside international review recommendations, emerging science, and external quality assurance of the inventory, when deciding priority areas of improvement to the inventory and, where relevant, resultant conversion factors.

If he will set out the (a) review process and (b) changes for the greenhouse gas conversion factors for (i) bioenergy (ii) well-to-tank bioenergy each year since 2015.

A proportionate risk-based approach is taken to reviewing and updating conversion factors, considering size of UK emission among other factors. As part of the annual peer review process, priority improvements for each year are advised by a Steering Group, consisting of Government officials, consultants and other key data providers. The Steering Group collate feedback and identify potential improvements from regular users of Conversion Factors from across industry and academia. The conversion factors for fuels and well-to-tank fuels have been reviewed since 2015. All changes to direct and well-to-tank conversion factors for fuels and bioenergy in each year are available from the collection webpage. Conversion factors for natural gas, diesel, petrol and coal are updated regularly, including in the 2024 publication.

With reference to the research entitled Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2024, published on 8 July 2024, how the conversion factors for (a) bioenergy and (b) well-to-tank bioenergy were developed.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publish Government Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Conversion Factors for Company Reporting annually. Their scope is defined to be relevant to Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) regulations, following GHG Protocol guidance. The conversion factors for direct emissions from fuels and biofuels are based on the most recent data from the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Well-to-tank factors are based on external studies as updated by recent available data. Further details on how direct and well-to-tank conversion factors for fuels and bioenergy are estimated and updated can be found in the annual methodology report.

With reference to the research entitled Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2024, published on 8 July 2024, how the conversion factors for (a) fuels and (b) well-to-tank fuels were developed.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publish Government Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Conversion Factors for Company Reporting annually. Their scope is defined to be relevant to Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) regulations, following GHG Protocol guidance. The conversion factors for direct emissions from fuels and biofuels are based on the most recent data from the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Well-to-tank factors are based on external studies as updated by recent available data. Further details on how direct and well-to-tank conversion factors for fuels and bioenergy are estimated and updated can be found in the annual methodology report.

With reference to the research entitled Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2024, published on 8 July 2024, if he will review his Department's conversion factors for (a) fuels and (b) well-to-tank fuels.

A proportionate risk-based approach is taken to reviewing and updating conversion factors, considering size of UK emission among other factors. As part of the annual peer review process, priority improvements for each year are advised by a Steering Group, consisting of Government officials, consultants and other key data providers. The Steering Group collate feedback and identify potential improvements from regular users of Conversion Factors from across industry and academia. The conversion factors for fuels and well-to-tank fuels have been reviewed since 2015. All changes to direct and well-to-tank conversion factors for fuels and bioenergy in each year are available from the collection webpage. Conversion factors for natural gas, diesel, petrol and coal are updated regularly, including in the 2024 publication.

With reference to the research entitled Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2024, published on 8 July 2024, whether the conversion factors for (a) fuels and (b) well-to-tank fuels have been reviewed since 2015.

A proportionate risk-based approach is taken to reviewing and updating conversion factors, considering size of UK emission among other factors. As part of the annual peer review process, priority improvements for each year are advised by a Steering Group, consisting of Government officials, consultants and other key data providers. The Steering Group collate feedback and identify potential improvements from regular users of Conversion Factors from across industry and academia. The conversion factors for fuels and well-to-tank fuels have been reviewed since 2015. All changes to direct and well-to-tank conversion factors for fuels and bioenergy in each year are available from the collection webpage. Conversion factors for natural gas, diesel, petrol and coal are updated regularly, including in the 2024 publication.