Written questions by Opher.

What steps he is taking to help increase the production of domestic clean power.

Awaiting answer.

How he plans to (a) embed climate adaptation and (b) integrate steps to mitigate and adapt within the seventh carbon budget.

The Climate Change Act (2008) sets out how government must consider both adaptation and mitigation when designing the pathway to net zero by 2050, through Climate Change Risk Assessments, National Adaptation Programmes and when setting Carbon Budgets. As set out in the Government's response to the CCC's 2025 adaptation response, where relevant the Government is ensuring climate adaptation and net zero are integrated into research and policy, ensuring we are cutting emissions while building climate resilience. This will include during the process of driving policy action to meet the seventh carbon budget.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82020 on Energy: Buildings, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, (b) Warm Homes: Local Grant and (c) Boiler Upgrade Scheme on (i) energy bills, (ii) carbon emissions (A) to date and (B) in each of the next three years and (iii) the nationally determined contributions target for 2030.

For Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) the Government publishes Official Statistics including WH:SHF Waves 1 and 2 measures installed, homes treated, carbon and bill savings. Statistics on WH:SHF Wave 3 and Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), summary business cases covering both schemes 2025/26-2027/28 and evaluation findings, will be published in due course. There is a robust evaluation approach in place for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The Government will publish an Impact Assessment covering the BUS from 2025/26 through to 2029/30. An Impact Assessment for period 2022/23 to 2024/25 is already published. The Government publishes Official Statistics including BUS deployment volumes to date (Table 1.1) and Energy and Emissions Projections (EEP) containing the estimated emission savings generated by BUS installations.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of improved energy efficiency in buildings on (a) energy security, (b) consumer bills and (c) carbon budgets.

Decarbonising buildings is the only certain way to permanently lower bills, protect the UK against price shocks, reduce demands and preserve energy security by helping the UK become energy independent. Government schemes are already delivering improvements to home energy efficiency through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF), the new Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and the continuation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) supporting thousands of households to upgrade their heating systems and reduce carbon emissions. 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. We will publish more details soon.

If he will consider issuing a call for evidence on ways to (a) promote and (b) fund the installation of domestic energy efficiency measures.

We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan for households to cut energy bills for good. 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. We will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country by accelerating the installation of efficient new domestic energy technologies.We are investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan up to 2030, in line with the Manifesto commitment. The transition to warmer, decarbonised homes via the Warm Homes Plan will include support for the most vulnerable to help slash fuel poverty. We will publish more details soon.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a legal duty on councils to (a) meet climate targets and (b) tackle the loss of wildlife.

The Government recognises the importance of local places in driving net zero action. Local government has autonomy and flexibility in how they deliver net zero, according to each local area’s varying needs and opportunities. DESNZ regularly engages with local government on key net zero issues, including through the Local Net Zero Delivery Group.The Government’s strengthened biodiversity duty was introduced through the Environment Act 2021. This duty requires all public authorities to consider actions to conserve and enhance biodiversity. The strengthened duty will ensure public authorities make the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity a core part of the delivery of their functions.

Which organisations received funding through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the last 12 months; and how much each organisation received.

The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme but the financial responsibility for delivering these initiatives lies with energy suppliers. For more detailed information on the latest assessment of WHD delivery (2023/24), including data on industry initiatives, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13 . The data for Scheme Year 14 (2024/25) will be published in due course.

Which services accessed funding through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the most recent year where data is available; how much funding was received by each supplier; and what the value was of support accessed by consumers through each service.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

What estimate he has made of the value of support accessed through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the most recent year where data is available.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

What steps he is taking to help low income households access renewable energy solutions.

We are decarbonising the energy system with utility-scale solar, rooftop solar, and offshore wind allowing households to benefit from reduced electricity bills and cleaner energy.For homes, we have kickstarted delivery of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, which will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run. This includes grant support through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), and targeted support for low income and fuel poor households, namely GBIS, ECO. The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, and Warm Homes: Local Grant will also begin delivery this year.

What steps he is taking to decarbonise the power system.

The Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan ‘a new era of clean electricity’ on 13 December 2024 detailing our plan to achieve deliver clean power by 2030. More recently, we have introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that billpayers and communities hosting energy infrastructure see meaningful benefits through lower energy bills and local project investment.

Whether he will visit the decommissioning power stations at (a) Oldbury and (b) Berkeley (Severn Edge); and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) deploying Small Modular Reactors at Oldbury and (ii) developing a Science & Technology Park at Berkeley.

Great British Nuclear is driving forward its Small Modular Reactor competition and has separately acquired the site at Oldbury-on-Severn. No decisions have yet been taken on deployment of technologies at specific sites but the merits of any projects would be considered. We will also consider where the UK's science and innovation infrastructure is best placed to deliver new nuclear’s needs.

If he will publish a timeline for the implementation of his local power plans policy.

We are progressing the Great British Energy (GBE) Bill through Parliament, and in October’s Spending Review the Chancellor announced £25 million to establish the company, with a further £100 million of capital funding to spend in 2025/26 so that GBE can start its important work to drive forward clean energy deployment this year. GBE, once fully operational, will provide funding and support to local and combined authorities, and community energy groups, to roll out renewable energy projects. Plans are under development and further details will be announced in due course.

If he will make it his policy to enable community-owned small-scale energy generators to sell electricity directly to local consumers.

The Government recognises the role that access to local energy will play in achieving net zero. The Government’s licence exemption regimes already allow small scale suppliers, including many community energy groups, to come to market to supply local customers. One general exemption is the Class A Small Supplier exemption, under which a producer of energy who produces no more than 5MW of energy, of which no more than 2.5MW is provided to domestic consumers, does not need a licence to supply. In addition. Ofgem has flexibility to award supply licenses to generation sites that are above the exemptions threshold when they are restricted to specified local area.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of enabling community-owned small-scale energy generators to sell electricity directly to local consumers on (a) energy prices, (b) grid stability and (c) the transition to net zero.

Small-scale generation sites, including many community energy groups, can benefit from an exemption, which means that they do not require a licence from Ofgem to generate electricity or to supply to local customers.Local energy is unlikely to impact national energy prices, because these are driven by wholesale markets. In addition, given the scale of generation, local energy is unlikely to have a significant impact on grid efficiency overall. The Government recognises that local energy will play an important role in achieving the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. To help deliver this, Great British Energy will support the development of up to 8GW of local and community energy projects.

Whether his Department has received representations from fossil fuel companies on the Global Plastics Treaty.

Details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.

Whether his Department plans to introduce (a) exemptions and (b) alternative pathways for landlords unable to meet the EPC C rating requirement due to structural limitation.

Government will consult shortly on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will include proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030. In this consultation, we will set out proposals on the exemptions regime for properties that cannot meet the proposed increased standard. We encourage landlords and other key stakeholders to feed into this consultation when it is published.

What support is available for landlords of traditional pre-1919 buildings to (a) conduct detailed retrofit assessments and (b) ensure compliance with EPC requirements.

Support is available to landlords to improve their properties. An eligibility tool is available on our ‘Help for Households’ GOV.UK page that will help landlords find the support available to them. Guidance for how to comply with EPC requirements can be found on gov.uk via the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-performance-certificates and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-private-rented-property-minimum-energy-efficiency-standard-landlord-guidance.

What assessment he has made of the role of energy storage and back-up systems in managing the intermittency of wind and solar power generation.

The Government recognises the vital role of energy storage and back-up systems in delivering clean power. As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, we are committed to developing a flexible energy system that ensures security of supply through long term storage technologies which could include pumped hydro storage, CCUS, hydrogen to power, or liquid air energy storage.