The government set out plans to launch a comprehensive Energy Advice Service on GOV.UK by summer 2022, as part of the British Energy Security Strategy published in April 20221. The strategy states that the service will help consumers improve the energy performance of their homes1.
The commitment sits within a wider package of measures on energy efficiency and household bills. The strategy confirms a £200 reduction in energy bills from October for all households in Great Britain through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and an increase in the Warm Home Discount to £150 in October, extended to assist three million people1. It also commits to expanding the Energy Company Obligation to £1 billion per year from 2022 to 2026, and to zero-rating VAT for the next five years on the installation of energy saving materials, including insulation and low carbon heating1.
"By summer we will launch a comprehensive Energy Advice Service on GOV.UK"
The strategy also sets a 2035 date by which the government intends to phase out the sale of new and replacement gas boilers, and states that 46 per cent of English homes were at EPC C or above, up from 9 per cent in 20081. On hydrogen, the government says it plans to blend up to 20 per cent hydrogen into the natural gas grid and will take a final decision by the end of next year1.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Energy Advice Service | Launch on GOV.UK by summer 20221 |
| Energy Bills Support Scheme | £200 reduction from October for all households in Great Britain1 |
| Warm Home Discount | Rising to £150 in October, extended to three million people1 |
| Energy Company Obligation | £1 billion per year from 2022 to 20261 |
| VAT on energy saving materials | Zero-rated for five years1 |
| Gas boiler phase-out | Intended 2035 date for new and replacement sales1 |
Why it matters for households
The Energy Advice Service is intended to give households a single government route to information on improving the energy performance of their homes1. For a household weighing up insulation or a change of heating system, the practical value of the service depends on what it covers and how it links to the grants and obligations running alongside it, such as the Energy Company Obligation and the VAT zero-rating on energy saving materials1. The strategy frames energy efficiency as the first step in reducing the amount of energy households need, noting that measures have already saved households on the lowest incomes around £300 a year on bills1. Energy performance certificates, which underpin how a home's efficiency is rated and recorded, are covered in the site's guide to EPC regulations and reform. Households in the private rented sector in Scotland face separate efficiency standards, set out in the guide to energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in Scotland. For social and rented homes, the relevant quality standards are covered in the guide to Housing Quality Standards for Social and Rented Homes. Where a household has a complaint about an energy supplier or a redress scheme, the routes available are set out in the guide to energy complaints and redress. Appliances bought to cut running costs are governed by the rules described in the guide to energy labels and ecodesign, and the standards for new-build homes are covered in the guide to the Future Homes Standard. The strategy also commits to phasing out the use of Russian oil and coal by the end of 2022, and to setting out a blueprint for the whole system by the end of 2022 in the Holistic Network Design and Centralised Strategic Network Plan1.
What happens next
The strategy gives summer 2022 as the launch window for the Energy Advice Service on GOV.UK1. No further detail on the service's scope, content or delivery date beyond that window appears in the strategy1.
Sources1 cited
- British Energy Security Strategy, data.parliament.uk