Written questions by Anderson.

What steps he is taking to help residents change to smart meters in South Shropshire constituency.

Awaiting answer.

How many people in South Shropshire constituency use Radio Teleswitch Service meters.

Awaiting answer.

How many people in South Shropshire constituency use Radio Teleswitch Service meters.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What support is in place for those facing increases to the price of heating oil.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs. My right hon. Friend 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 are considering their options available if there is evidence of unfair practices or anti-competitive behaviour. We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

What steps he is taking to increase energy security.

The Government is strengthening energy security by reducing dependency on volatile global fossil fuel markets and delivering a diverse, secure and clean energy system based on renewables and nuclear, backed up by unabated gas supply to be used only when essential. Delivering the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan will require £40 billion of investment into generation and network projects per year. This includes major upgrades to the electricity grid, expanding the renewable auction process, and speeding up planning decisions to prioritise critical infrastructure. The Government has also launched Great British Energy, which aims to invest in offshore wind, and provide long term support for carbon capture and hydrogen, while ensuring reliable fossil fuel supply.

What his policy is on the use of agricultural land for solar energy.

Our policy remains unchanged. Solar farms should be built on brownfield sites or previously developed land, wherever possible. Where the development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land.

What assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the domestic tourism sector on his net zero targets.

The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, published in October, sets out how the UK will continue to reduce emissions across all sectors of the economy on the pathway to net zero. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero engages regularly on net zero with his colleagues in other departments. Policy on domestic tourism is led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In 2023, tourism contributed £58.2bn GVA (2.5% of the UK economy) and directly employed 1.2 million people. DCMS works with VisitEngland, destinations, local visitor economy partnerships (LVEPs) and industry to support sustainable tourism practices. The government is committed to supporting the sector through the forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Plan.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of of green levies on utility bills.

The key to bringing down energy bills in the long term is clean power. With gas prices still significantly higher than historic levels, our exposure to international fossil fuel markets is still the main driver of high energy bills.Taken together, the actions announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor at the Budget take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills and deliver on funding more of the investment we need in our energy system through public expenditure rather than levies. £7 billion worth of the historic Renewables Obligation levy has been moved into public expenditure and the ECO scheme has been scrapped. The government is delivering the biggest public investment in home energy efficiency ever, increasing the settlement we received at the Spending Review.

What steps he is taking to promote limestone insulation as an energy efficiency measure.

The government does not promote one measure over another, instead energy efficiency measures installed under current Government energy efficiency schemes must be compliant with PAS 2035/2030 to ensure installations are done to the highest quality and the risk of unintended consequences, such as condensation or damp, are minimised.

What steps his Department is taking to help support households that are off the (a) gas and (b) electricity grid to improve their energy efficiency.

We expect transitioning to clean heat will involve installing a heat pump for most off-gas-grid properties as these are cost-effective, proven technologies. The government has announced measures to support consumers with heat pump installations. The government recognises heat pumps may not be a feasible option for all properties and we are committed to ensuring that there is the right solution for every household. Other low carbon heating technologies are available and the governments offers grants of £5,000 for biomass boilers under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. Research is underway to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes.

What steps he is taking to help reduce petrol prices in rural areas.

The Government will implement the Competition & Markets Authority's recommendation to help drive down pump prices by introducing a statutory open data scheme, Fuel Finder, at the end of 2025. This scheme will increase fuel price transparency, enabling drivers to compare prices easily and make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. By introducing this statutory open data scheme, petrol filling stations will face increased competition, leading to a reduction in fuel prices across the UK, including in rural areas.

What steps he has taken to increase apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is expanding apprenticeship opportunities through its upcoming Talent Strategy. With 83 apprentices currently in post, the Department is broadening the offer by launching a Social Mobility Apprenticeship Programme, procuring new contracts aligned with its core delivery and mission priorities, and promoting opportunities through targeted outreach and engagement. It is also improving the apprentice experience through stronger networks and dedicated guidance. DESNZ continues to recruit through Civil Service schemes and remains fully committed to creating meaningful, high-quality early career pathways for both new and existing staff through a growing apprenticeship offer.

What steps he is taking to support vulnerable households with energy costs in off-grid communities.

The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us harness clean energy, reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, and enable us to meet our target to be a clean energy superpower by 2030. We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. We have recently consulted on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households on a qualifying means-tested benefit into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation closed on 24 March and DESNZ is considering the responses received. The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock, including those off gas grid, into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future.

With reference to the Energy Networks Association’s report entitled Our common sense plan for planning, published in December 2023, if he will make it his policy to (a) amend permitted development rights for the upgrading of the electricity distribution network infrastructure and (b) implement the nine point plan.

The Government will consult this year on an ambitious package of reforms to land rights and consents processes for electricity network infrastructure based on responses to a 2022 Call for Evidence and proposals put forward by the Energy Network Association in their nine-point plan. The consultation will include proposals to expand planning consent exemptions to include low-voltage connections and upgrades in England and Wales. Any changes made to these processes will be developed with full consideration of the rights of landowners.

What plans his Department has to accelerate complementary reforms on the electricity distribution network to ensure that grid connections are accelerated, in addition to reforms to the planning regime for electricity transmission infrastructure.

The Government will consult this year on an ambitious package of reforms to land rights and consents processes for electricity network infrastructure based on responses to a 2022 Call for Evidence and proposals put forward by the Energy Network Association in their nine-point plan. The consultation will include proposals to expand planning consent exemptions to include low-voltage connections and upgrades in England and Wales. Any changes made to these processes will be developed with full consideration of the rights of landowners.

If he will take steps to prevent solar panels from being placed on agricultural land.

Planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, solar developers should utilise brownfield, industrial, contaminated, or previously developed sites. Where the development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred to higher-quality land. The total area of land devoted to solar panels is very small. As of the end of September 2024, ground-mount solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares (52,000 acres), which is only around 0.1 per cent of the total land area of the UK.

What steps he is taking to help people in rural areas with energy costs.

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 permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million.

What support is available to retrofit homes in rural areas.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 February 2025 to Question 30705.

What steps he is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes in rural areas.

The Government has committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £500 million of funding towards our new Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) which will provide support for low-income households living in privately owned EPC band D-G homes both on and off the gas grid in England. The WH:LG will be delivered from 2025 to 2028 by eligible local authorities. Rural homes are also supported through current energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation and Home Upgrade Grant.

What steps he is taking to increase levels of community energy infrastructure.

The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change. Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will support Local and Combined Authorities and Community Energy Groups to roll out small and medium‑scale renewable energy projects, to develop up to 8GW of cleaner power by 2030. The Government also supports the community energy sector through the £10 million Community Energy Fund, which enables communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.