Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Essential Energy Guarantee 2026-07-07

Tuesday 7 July 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • John Milne expressed concern that the Government's failure to effectively communicate its energy policies is problematic.
  • John Milne inquired about the impact of the winding down of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme on heat network sign-ups and engagement strategies.
  • Jonathan Davies raised concerns about low awareness of heat network benefits and the potential hindrance of support reduction for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Milne Lib Dem
Climate Energy
Context

The MP is concerned about energy costs for constituents. He references a Liberal Democrat plan to address immediate electricity affordability, emphasizing the need for more renewables in the long term.

Question

I am concerned that the Government's failure to make an effective case on energy bills and its recent manifesto pledges has become problematic. I believe introducing an essential energy guarantee could immediately help with electricity affordability. In the long run, increasing renewable energy is crucial. Does the Minister accept that promising a £300 reduction in energy bills was a mistake given other influencing factors?

Answer from Martin McCluskey

I am disappointed at your statement. We are making a strong case for our pledge to reduce energy bills by £300, which still stands. Renewables are indeed the quickest way to lower bills. The warm home discount currently supports nearly 6 million households, with over 5,000 people in my hon. Friend's constituency receiving this support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address whether promising a £300 reduction was a mistake and what adjustments are being considered.

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Q2 John Milne Lib Dem
Energy Environment
Context

The MP discusses the lack of public sector and business awareness regarding heat networks as a solution for energy efficiency.

Question

The warm home discount is beneficial, but more can be done with heat networks. The winding down of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme may hinder sign-ups to these networks. Can you examine our engagement strategies with businesses, public sector bodies and housing providers to ensure wider uptake?

Answer from Martin McCluskey

My hon. Friend raises an important point about reaching clean power targets through increased use of heat networks for clean heating. We are already supporting this with the Green Heat Network Fund, and we will continue to assess how best to support these initiatives in future.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to reviewing engagement strategies specifically but acknowledged the importance of heat networks without addressing awareness issues directly.

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Q3 Jonathan Davies Lab
Energy Environment
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of public awareness regarding heat network opportunities among businesses, public sector organisations, and housing providers.

Question

While the warm home discount helps households save on bills, we could do more with our heat network programme. With a potential heat network in Derby, there's often low awareness of these benefits. Is it possible that reducing support for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is hindering wider adoption? Can you review engagement efforts to ensure maximum benefit from heat networks?

Answer from Martin McCluskey

My hon. Friend makes a really important point about reaching clean power targets through significant levels of clean heat provided by heat networks. The Green Heat Network Fund is already providing support across the country, and we will continue exploring further ways to support these initiatives.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly commit to reviewing engagement strategies but acknowledged the importance of supporting heat network programmes without directly addressing awareness issues.

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