Written questions by Khan.

How much capital funding will be made available in April 2026 to support people impacted by the closure of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

DESNZ Ministers have consulted on extending ECO4 by six to nine months, in order to support remediation activity and enable an orderly programme closure. The Government will publish its response to this consultation shortly. As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, £5 billion has been allocated to support low-income and fuel-poor households, comprising £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million through the new Warm Homes Fund. Delivery for low-income households will also continue through the Warm Homes: Local Grant and the Social Housing Fund ahead of integration into a single, combined offer for all low-income households. Further details on future scheme design will be announced in Spring 2026.

What support his Department has provided to the retrofit market, housing associations and local authorities in order to implement the Warm Homes Plan.

The government recognises the essential role that local places play in accelerating progress towards net zero and is committed to working with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to deliver the Warm Homes Plan through an area-based approach. The new Warm Homes Fund will help local authorities accelerate their existing consumer offers for solar PV. Additionally, Crown Commercial Service and Great British Energy are testing approaches to aggregating demand for technologies to drive down unit costs for both social housing landlords and the public sector estate. The new Warm Homes Agency will play a pivotal role in supporting local partnerships, convening, facilitating and building capacity within local government. Government support also includes funding five Local Net Zero Hubs, helping local authorities to develop decarbonisation projects and attract commercial investment.

When his Department will implement new conditions which require public grants recipients to procure services from the Energy Company Obligation supply chain.

The government recognises the closure of the supplier obligation schemes may present challenges for companies in the supply chain. The Warm Homes Plan, which confirmed an additional £1.5bn in low-income grant funding, represents our long-term plan and sets out a range of policy interventions designed to lower bills and tackle fuel poverty. We will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO. We will engage the retrofit supply chain, Housing Associations and Local Authorities to agree an appropriate regime.I will lead a working group of representatives from local authorities, housing associations and industry to coordinate action to support the retrofit supply chain.This includes the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce which will support the transition to high-quality roles in low-carbon sectors.

When the Warm Homes Agency will commence supporting companies and employees in Birmingham Perry Barr constituency impacted by the closure of the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

The Government recognises that ending Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme presents challenges for the supply chain. For the additional £1.5 billion announced in the Warm Homes Plan, the Government will use the procurement regime for all new funding to support the retrofit workforce affected by the closure of ECO, working closely with the retrofit supply chain, housing associations and local authorities. The Government is also committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the Warm Homes Agency. The scope and timeline of the Agency’s operations are being developed and will be confirmed in due course.

What estimate his Department has made of the total cost of remediation for homes that received substandard external and internal wall insulation through the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme.

No household should be asked to pay for remediation work. Where non-compliance is found and remediation is needed, the original installer is responsible for the cost of putting the work right. Should the installer have ceased trading, the protections under the 25-year guarantee can be invoked. The vast majority of remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS has cost between £250 and £6,000 for internal wall insulation and £5,000 and £18,000 for external wall insulation. This would all be covered by the £20,000 guarantee required by TrustMark, should the installer no longer be trading.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) consumer protection and (b) quality assurance frameworks for the Energy Company Obligation.

Government is committed to creating a simpler, stronger system of standards and oversight, with reforms to ensure work is done right first time, create a clear and straightforward installation process, and enable swift redress. The Government’s Retrofit System Reform Advisory Panel will continue to support us to develop these proposals. Further detail will be provided in the Warm Homes Plan. In the short-term, Government is offering comprehensive on-site audits to every household with external wall insulation installed under ECO and GBIS, at no cost to the consumer.

Whether his Department's initial projections of the annual financial and emissions savings to be made through the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme will be achieved.

Scheme impact assessments included annual bill savings targets of £224.3m for ECO4 and £55.99m for GBIS. Evaluations of ECO4 and GBIS are underway, including household surveys about energy consumption and bills savings. Evaluation reports will be published in 2026 (ECO4) and 2027 (GBIS). Following completion of ECO4 and GBIS, analysis will be carried out using gas and electricity meter data to assess energy and carbon savings. The official statistics provide ongoing estimates of annual bill savings.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor, (b) deter and (c) eliminate fraud among retrofit businesses carrying out works under the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Scheme.

Measuring fraud and non-compliance is critical to managing the risks they pose. We are taking on board the ten lessons identified by the NAO and embedding these into our future consumer protection system. We will ensure fraud measurement is part of our future quality assurance regime. For existing schemes, we currently work with Ofgem, TrustMark and energy suppliers to detect, prevent and deter fraud. When Ofgem is notified of suspected fraud, they will engage with suppliers to ensure robust investigation. Ofgem also engages with Action Fraud and the Serious Fraud Office.

What representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on securing long-term funding for the development of smart energy systems within the West Midlands as part of the Spending Review.

The Government recognises the important role of local government, such as West Midlands Combined Authority, in driving net zero action. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues. Details of the spending review will be set out in due course.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including the preservation of nature as priority in the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

Government is fully committed to protecting nature. That’s why as part of the SSEP we are requiring NESO to give due consideration to environmental impacts and statutory environmental duties throughout all stages of its production. This will include environmental data sets, a robust governance framework and stakeholder engagement. The SSEP will also be subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and plan-level Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA).

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25957 on North Sea Oil: Carbon Emissions, whether he plans to appeal the Edinburgh Court of Session's ruling of 30 January 2025.

The Government is carefully considering the Court of Session's judgment to inform its decisions on next steps.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Rosebank oil field development on the UK's net zero obligations.

I refer the Hon Member to the regulatory decision documents on the environmental effects of the Rosebank project published in September 2023. Those regulatory decisions are currently subject to two Judicial Reviews. In August 2024, the Government announced that it would not be challenging the Judicial Reviews. At COP28, the UK and others agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in an orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade. This is essential to keep the global temperature limit of 1.5°C within reach. The Government has acted swiftly to consult on new environmental guidance for oil and gas firms to ensure that the impact of burning oil and gas is considered in the Environmental Impact Assessment for new projects.

What steps he is taking to reduce energy bills for businesses.

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, including business consumers, permanently. In the short term, the Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into expensive energy contracts and more redress when they have a complaint. We closed a consultation in November regarding the regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers, aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers. A government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed. From 19 December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees can now access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of UK businesses can now access this service, with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. The Government recognises that some businesses may be struggling to pay their bills. These businesses should contact their supplier to discuss their options, including ‘blend and extend’ contracts, where the higher unit rate is blended with a new lower rate, spreading the cost over the course of a long contract.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK offshore oil and gas industry’s investment in renewable energy.

Making Britain a clean energy superpower is one of the five missions of this Government, and oil and gas companies will have an important role to play in the energy transition. We have begun the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and are moving ahead with new industries including carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen which will attract further private investment. A number of integrated energy companies already invest across a range of clean energy technologies in the UK and elsewhere. The department does not provide a commentary on these investments.

What steps he is taking to help ensure Great British Energy creates jobs in industrial communities.

Through its investment and development activities, Great British Energy (GBE) will support companies to provide opportunities for high quality, well-paid work, in the projects the company supports, in supply chains and in local communities through the Local Power Plan. As an operationally independent company, GBE will choose the projects it supports across the UK. I am confident that the benefits will be felt in local and national economies, including our industrial heartlands. The decision to headquarter GBE in Aberdeen has already given confidence to industry, as Sarens PSG has announced the opening of a Centre of Excellence in Aberdeen that will train wind farm workers.