Written questions by Tice.

What steps his Department is taking to support households reliant on heating oil in rural areas; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to heating oil prices on households in Boston and Skegness constituency.

We understand that heating oil pricing is a significant issue for households. The Secretary of State and The Minister for Energy have been closely engaging with their counterparts across Government on heating oil prices, including with the Treasury and Devolved Governments. These discussions have been focussed on UK-wide prices of heating oil. The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who announced on 11 March they are probing further on two main issues consumers have raised with them on heating oil prices following complaints they have received. They will not hesitate to take action where there is evidence of breaches of consumer protections. We will keep reviewing whether any further support or action may be needed to protect consumers.

How many UK households have experienced power cuts in the last five years due to insufficient renewable energy supply.

No UK households have experienced power cuts in the last five years due to insufficient renewable electricity generation. Great Britain has a highly resilient electricity system with diverse supplies, and the system operator has the tools required to balance supply and demand across a wide range of scenarios. Where power cuts have occurred, these have resulted from factors such as severe weather or local network faults, rather than generation adequacy.

What financial liabilities relating to Lindsey Oil Refinery decommissioning fall to the taxpayer, as opposed to the buyer of the site.

The insolvency process at Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery is led by the court-appointed Official Receiver, who must act in accordance with his statutory duties and independently of government. The government will continue to support and fund the Official Receiver until a sale has been completed. After a thorough process to identify a buyer for the site, the Official Receiver determined Phillips 66 is the most credible bidder which can provide a viable future for this site. The sale is expected to complete in the first half of 2026. As I set out in DESNZ Orals on 6 January 2025, the government is not responsible for the decommissioning liabilities, these will be for Phillips 66 as part of the sale.

How many onshore wind turbines have been constructed in the UK in each of the last five years; and how much funding his Department has provided for onshore wind.

This information is available via the Renewable Energy Planning Database.

What the projected cost is of achieving net zero by 2050, including costs to government, business and households.

Net zero is the economic and industrial opportunity of the 21st century. Since July 2024, over £60bn of private investment has been announced in our clean energy industries. The independent CCC estimates net costs of the transition to be on average the equivalent of 0.2% of UK GDP per year, and this doesn't account for the wider growth benefits. The OBR's ‘Fiscal risks and sustainability report’ (2025) makes clear, meeting climate targets will cost less than failing to deal with climate change. Only by investing in the transition now can we reduce costs in future.

What the estimated total cost to households is of replacing gas boilers with heat pumps.

The cost to a household of replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump will depend on take-up of the available Government support, the size of the heat pump unit required and any ancillary works such as replacing radiators. Data on voucher redemptions under the BUS is available at: BUS monthly scheme update | Ofgem Other support schemes are available for low-income households and social housing, and for eligible homes a heat pump installation may be supported at no cost to the household.

What recent estimate he has made of the cost to (a) the public purse, (b) businesses and (c) households of meeting net zero by 2050.

Net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. Meeting climate targets will cost less than failing to deal with climate change. The Climate Change Committee estimates the cost of meeting net zero targets will be on average the equivalent of 0.2% of UK GDP per year and the OBR estimates the cost of failing to deal with climate change will be 5% of UK GDP per yearThe 0.2% cost also does not take into account the wider beneficial growth impacts of net zero investment. Since July 2024, £52bn of private investment has been announced in our clean energy industriesThe OBR is clear that the costs of climate damage are getting higher, while the cost of the net zero transition is getting lower. Only by investing in the transition now can we reduce costs in future.

What proportion of renewable energy equipment installed in the UK was manufactured in China.

The Government does not hold data on what proportion of renewable energy equipment installed in the UK was manufactured in China.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) solar radiation management initiatives and (b) other Government-funded geoengineering research projects on (i) the environment and (ii) public health; and whether he plans to (A) consult and (B) seek Parliamentary approval before any large-scale experimentation is undertaken.

The Government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification. Given the significant uncertainty around the possible risks and impacts of deployment on the climate and environment, the Government is not deploying SRM and has no plans to do so.

What steps his Department is taking to prioritise the use of agrivoltaics in approved solar farms on agricultural land classified as best and most versatile.

Solar energy can be an important way for farmers to increase their revenue from land less suited to higher-value crop production. For example, a number of solar farms have combined solar with livestock grazing. The emerging science of agrivoltaics is developing innovative ways for solar to be integrated with arable farming. The Solar Taskforce has been looking at the use of innovative technologies, and findings will be published in the Solar Roadmap soon.

What the total installed capacity is of combined-cycle gas turbine power stations in the UK; how much of that capacity is from plants commissioned in the last (a) five and (b) 20 years; and what the projected total capacity requirement is expected to be by 2029.

Data on combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations are published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics. Modelling analysis from the National Energy System Operator, which covers Great Britain, suggests around 35GW of unabated gas capacity, which includes CCGTs as well as other types of gas generators, will need to be available by 2030 to maintain security of supply.

How many staff in his Department are responsible for (a) processing and (b) responding to Freedom of Information Act requests; and if he will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of this work.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not have a specific number of staff tasked with processing and responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. On receipt, FOI requests are allocated to officials in the area of the Department relevant to the subject of the request, who then provide the response. The Department’s Information Rights Team (IRT) provides advice and assistance to staff on the application of information rights legislation. The IRT consists of seven members of staff. FOI requests vary considerably from case-to-case in terms of complexity and effort required to provide a response. It is not possible to estimate the annual cost of responding to all the FOI requests the department receives.

How much his Department has spent on measures to achieve net zero targets in the last five years.

The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its analysis of the cost of reaching net zero by 2050 in chapter 3 of the July 2021 edition of its UK Fiscal Risk Report. As the OBR has noted, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero.” Spending Review 2021 set out £26 billion of public capital investment in net zero over four years across Government.

What the annual subsidy is for renewable energy projects; and what the average increase in consumer energy bills was in each of the last five years.

This data is published by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility and Ofgem. Renewables provide energy security by reducing our exposure to gas price volatility, as well as providing significant savings for those households and businesses directly benefitting from small-scale renewable measures, such as solar panels.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who received grants for heat source pumps under (a) the Green Homes Grant and (b) similar schemes are supported when systems prove unfit for purpose and the installation company goes into liquidation.

The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme required that consumers seek advice from a suitably qualified TrustMark registered installer before they applied for a voucher. It also required that installations meet Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 2035. If a homeowner believes that any installation work carried out in their home under a Government scheme is faulty, they should first contact the installer. Where the installer has failed to adequately resolve the issue or have ceased trading, they may refer to TrustMark’s website which contains further guidance on steps consumers can take if things go wrong and the dispute resolution process: (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner/support/complaints-process).

What the total expenditure was on achieving net zero targets in each year since 2015 by sector; and what the corresponding estimated total reduction in global emissions was in the same period.

The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its analysis of the cost of reaching net zero by 2050 in chapter 3 of the July 2021 edition of its UK Fiscal Risk Report. As the OBR has noted, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) mining and (b) processing rare earth minerals required for renewable technologies including (i) wind turbines and (ii) solar panels on the environment.

The criticality of minerals, including Rare Earth Elements (REEs), are evaluated through the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), led by the British Geological Survey. CMIC determines criticality on the basis of economic vulnerability and supply risk, through indicators including Environmental, Social and Governance standards. Building on this assessment, the Department for Business and Trade will work with industry to publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year. This will help secure our supply chains, including for Rare Earth Elements, for the long term and support the green industries of the future.

What data his Department holds on (a) the annual costs incurred to date in implementing Net Zero policies and (b) the measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieved as a direct result of those policies.

The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its analysis of the cost of reaching net zero by 2050 in chapter 3 of the July 2021 edition of its UK Fiscal Risk Report. As the OBR has noted, “the costs of failing to get climate change under control would be much larger than those of bringing emissions down to net zero.” The UK has halved its emissions, having cut them by around 53% between 1990 and 2023. Each year the department publishes updated energy projections, analysing and projecting future energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. They take into account climate change policies where decisions on policy design and funding are sufficiently advanced to allow robust estimates of policy impacts to be made. These projections allow us to monitor progress towards meeting the UK’s carbon budgets. The latest published projections can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2022-to-2040 Final estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions are also published annually.

What steps his Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to ensure energy security during periods where renewable energy sources do not meet demand.

The UK’s diverse power mix reduces dependence on one generation source, ensuring security of supply in a range of conditions. Transitioning away from fossil fuels and towards a range of home-grown clean energy technologies will reduce the UK’s vulnerability to unstable energy prices while ensuring energy security. The Government is accelerating the development and deployment of low-carbon flexible energy generation and storage, including batteries and pumped hydro, to manage the intermittency of wind and solar. The Clean Power 2030 action plan, set for release by year-end, will detail the Government's strategy for achieving a secure, clean power system by 2030.

If he will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of compensation for loss of property value as a result of proposed pylon installations in Boston and Skegness constituency.

Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also put in place discretionary schemes offering additional compensation. As compensation is provided by the electricity network licence holders, not the Government, we cannot provide an estimate of potential costs. More broadly, the Government is committed to ensuring that communities who live near new clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits and is currently considering how to deliver this most effectively.