Every parliamentary written question tabled by Elsie Blundell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of summer temperatures and heatwaves on household health and wellbeing; and whether he plans to introduce financial support or incentives t
The Warm Homes Plan sets out our approach to upgrading the nation’s homes, including climate adaptation. Over this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-in...
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling small businesses to renegotiate and exit fixed-term commercial energy contracts agreed during periods of peak wholesale p
The Government’s primary focus is on ensuring energy is affordable for all businesses, and that they are provided better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts. That’s why the Government plans to directly regulate Third-Pa...
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the regulatory framework governing the non-domestic energy market; and whether he plans to extend the powers of Ofgem to provide additional prot
The Government and Ofgem continuously monitor the non-domestic energy market to ensure that good outcomes are being delivered for all consumers. Recently, the Secretary of State and Ofgem’s Interim CEO wrote to non-domestic suppliers and Third-Party Inter...
What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising standing charges on (a) independent pubs and (b) other low-consumption hospitality venues; and what steps he is taking to
The Government recognises that standing charges can be a significant concern for some businesses, including those in the hospitality sector. Network charges are designed to be cost-reflective, meaning they reflect the costs imposed on the network by diffe...
What steps he is taking to reform the National Energy Security Operator.
On 1 October 2024, the Secretary of State established the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to support the energy transition including a more strategically planned approach to the energy system. NESO, a public corporation, was designed to operate independently of commercial energy interests and day-to-day Government control.NESO is an expert adviser to Government and Ofgem and a partner in delivering the UK’s energy ambitions. Ofgem regulates NESO, approves its business plan and monitors value for money and performance. Since its establishment just over a year ago, the Government has been working closely and constructively with NESO and there are no plans to reform NESO
What steps his Department is taking to make heat pumps more (a) accessible and (b) cost effective to lower income households.
The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. The Government is taking steps to make heat pumps more efficient and easier to install, ensuring more households can install a heat pump and benefit from cleaner, more efficient heating. As well as increasing funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to £295 million next financial year, we are removing outdated planning rules and consulting on product efficiency standards. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.
What steps his Department has taken to (a) communicate how his Department's policies will help to lower energy bills in 2025 and (b) maintain the level of energy bills during fluctuations in the energy market.
Energy bills remain high for too many households. The government’s clean energy mission is the only route to protecting billpayers from the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets in the long-term, which is why we are sprinting to clean, homegrown energy through the Clean Power Action Plan. We have also taken urgent action to improve energy efficiency in British homes and protect households’ energy bills. On 21 November 2024, we announced how our Warm Homes Plan will support households to take up measures that can help save money on their bills and deliver cleaner heating, with up to 300,000 homes to benefit from upgrades in the next financial year. We also announced proposals on 7 February 2025 for private landlords to meet higher energy performance standards in their properties by 2030, which could save private renters £240 per year off their energy bills. These policies have been communicated across media and digital channels, including ministerial media interviews, GOV.UK publications, graphics and videos on social media. They have been further amplified through work with our partners to reach wider audiences who follow their channels. This is alongside our support for the ‘Speak, Seek, Save’ campaign run by Citizens Advice, providing advice to consumers on how to save energy and reduce their bills, which includes publishing and amplifying content on social media.