Written questions by Jones.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that an accurate record exists of which homes are reliant on Home Heating Oil for heating.

Information on the heating fuels used by households is published by the Office for National Statistics and the Devolved Administrations. For more information, please see here - Constituency data: Households off the gas grid - House of Commons Library The Government has made £53 million of additional support available to help low-come households who use heating oil. In England this has been allocated to Local Authorities via the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). Households should apply to their local authority and provide any evidence that is requested.

What is the total anticipated generation capacity in MWh of solar power projects that are approved but have not yet been connected to the grid.

According to the latest version of the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), as at January 2026 approximately 24GW capacity of ground mounted solar power projects have received planning consent but are not yet connected to the grid. This figure is an approximation as the REPD does not track projects below 150kW.

Whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on energy independence.

The government is committed to delivering on our Mission to make the UK a Clean Energy Superpower. Where necessary, and subject to parliamentary time, we intend to pursue the primary legislative changes needed to deliver on this Mission. We will set out our plans in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to increase uptake of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme among (a) GP practices and (b) other small non-domestic buildings.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to provide grants of up to £7,500 for small non-domestic property owners, with the threshold for single heat pump installations set at 45kWh. The grants are in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps and biomass boilers, currently up until March 2027. To support uptake, the Government is performing communications targeted at non-domestic consumers to increase awareness and knowledge of the scheme and are continuing to engage with stakeholders to understand more about how to reduce barriers to heat pump deployment in these buildings. The approach to decarbonising non-domestic buildings more broadly will be set out in October this year.

How many (a) general practice surgeries and (b) other non-domestic organisations by sector have (i) applied for and (ii) received support through the boiler upgrade scheme.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not have data specifying the nature of the business or a sector-level breakdown for non-domestic installations under the scheme. From May 2022 to April 2025, the scheme has received 394 non-domestic voucher applications, with 250 non-domestic grants paid. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme update and publish monthly statistics here, which includes number of grants paid by whether the property is domestic or non-domestic and technology type (tab 1.5), with further information on number of grants paid by whether the property is domestic or non-domestic broken down by financial year (tab A1.4).

What steps his Department is taking to help GPs decarbonise their physical estates.

The Government is supporting the decarbonisation of General Practitioners through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and Boiler Upgrade Grant (BUS). The PSDS supports the aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037, compared to a 2017 baseline. The Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund provides grants for public sector bodies to put in place a heat decarbonisation plan, providing them with information they need to develop future applications to the PSDS. If eligible, the BUS offers grants of £7500 towards the cost of purchasing and installing heat pumps, and £5000 towards a biomass boiler, for properties looking to replace their existing fossil fuel heating.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on data sharing to identify households eligible for energy social tariffs.

The department is working closely with other government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, to understand how we can better use and share data to better target support at customers that need help. I am also leading a working group with Energy UK and other stakeholders to consider how we can take further sustained action on improving affordability and accessibility of energy.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of heat battery technology to the Warm Homes Plan; and what steps he is taking to support the (a) development and (b) deployment of heat batteries in domestic heating systems.

Heat batteries are a promising technology because they utilise time-of-use tariffs, do not require outside space, and can be cheaper to install than heat pumps in some circumstances. However, they are also less efficient than heat pumps and will therefore use more energy to meet the same heating demand. The Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future. We will continue to review our position on heat batteries as the supporting evidence base develops.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) VAT reductions or grants and (b) other financial incentives to encourage the adoption of heat battery technology in UK households as part of the Government’s Warm Homes Plan.

VAT treatment is the responsibility of the Treasury, and they keep all taxes under review. Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) can benefit from zero rated VAT, until April 2027, and the Department continues to engage with the Treasury and HMRC regarding ESMs. Heat batteries are a promising technology but they are also less efficient than heat pumps and will use more energy to meet the same heating demand. We will continue to review our position on heat batteries in Government grant programmes as the supporting evidence base develops, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial.

What steps his Department is taking to improve public awareness and consumer advice on the benefits of heat battery technology as part of the Government’s Warm Homes Plan.

Heat batteries are a promising technology because they utilise time-of-use tariffs, do not require outside space, and can be cheaper to install than heat pumps in some circumstances. However, they are also less efficient than heat pumps and will therefore use more energy to meet the same heating demand. The Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future. We will continue to review our position on heat batteries as the supporting evidence base develops.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of heat batteries on (a) peak electricity demand and (b) grid flexibility in the UK energy system.

Heat batteries are a promising technology because they utilise time-of-use tariffs and do not require outside space. However, they are also less efficient than heat pumps and will therefore use more energy to meet the same heating demand, which could impact peak electricity demandThe Department is exploring, through studies like the Homes for Net Zero Trial, the role heat batteries could play in the future.

What data his Department holds on the number of utility companies that charge for paper copies of bills; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this practice on customers; and whether he plans to take steps to monitor this practice.

The Department does not hold this data. Ofgem’s Standard Licence Condition 21B.8 explicitly states that “the licensee must not make a specific charge for the provision of a Bill or statement of account or for access in an appropriate way to the consumption data used to calculate that Bill or statement of account. This paragraph does not apply in respect of providing additional copies of a Bill or statement of account to a Customer.” The Government is aware that not everyone can manage their account online and will continue to work with Ofgem and suppliers to understand where improvements are needed, and to ensure all consumers, including the elderly and vulnerable, receive the standard of service they deserve.