Written questions by MacDonald.

Whether guidance on community benefit funds for electricity transmission infrastructure will include transmission projects where (a) voltage and (b) capacity upgrades are required resulting in additional impacts on local communities.

Government is committed to ensuring that communities who live near clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits. This includes publishing guidance on community funds this quarter, which will set out government’s expectations for communities living near to electricity transmission network infrastructure. The guidance aims to balance the need for consistency without being overly prescriptive and unintentionally omitting projects or infrastructure where communities should be entitled to benefits. We aim to publish this guidance in due course.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using renewable liquid fuels as an alternative to mains gas for households unable to connect to the grid.

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels (RLHF) are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutionsHowever, the Government recognise that RLHFs could play a limited role in decarbonising heat off the gas grid.

What support is available to households with legacy gas heating systems for the cost of (a) repairs and (b) replacements; and what steps he is taking to (i) encourage and (ii) support those households to transition to zero-carbon heating systems.

The Energy Company Obligation delivers household energy efficiency retrofits across Great Britain. Subject to eligibility, these retrofits may include measures such as heating controls, insulation, or improvements to legacy heating systems. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme supports property owners in England and Wales with grants up to £7,500, to replace fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and biomass boilers, with property owners in Scotland supported via the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme. The Home Upgrade Grant supports lower-income households off the gas grid, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, support social housing providers and tenants, and lower-income homeowners.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of EV charging infrastructure in (i) rural and (ii) remote areas and (b) potential impact of that infrastructure on the phasing out of cars with internal combustion engines.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of 1st of January 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 73,334 publicly available charging devices (including 14,448 rapid charging devices). The matter is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, the Government is also delivering the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund which supports local authorities to work with industry to significantly transform the availability of affordable public chargepoints across the country, including in rural and remote areas. At least 100,000 new public charging points are planned to be installed in England by local authorities under the fund.

What steps his Department is taking to support the Data Communications Company in the (a) development and (b) testing of the Virtual Wide Area Network; and whether he plans to make funding available to ensure that consumers in rural areas can access smart meters.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of communications network coverage for Great Britain beyond its currently provisioned minimum level of 99.25%. To enable the DCC to increase network coverage, the Department has recently consulted upon and indicated its intention to proceed with changes to the regulatory framework that will support implementation of the DCC’s Virtual Wide Area Network solution. The necessary funding for this, including in rural areas, is provided for by the energy industry, as is the case with other smart metering costs.

If he will make an estimate of the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths in each of the last two years.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not collect data on the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths. The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS. DESNZ has multiple targeted schemes delivering energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households and provides bill support to eligible low-income households through the Warm Home Discount.