Powering Homes news, page 103
- June 2022
Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group to be set up by Summer 2022
The Scottish Government's May 2022 quality assurance policy statement commits to a Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group by summer 2022 to oversee PAS 2035/30 standards in Scotland.
SSEN commits funding to strengthen network and community resilience after Storm Arwen
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has applied to Ofgem for £10m of dedicated funding for five projects intended to improve its storm response, after earlier resilience spending committed in summer 2022.
Thermino 180 and Thermino 250 models planned for first half of 2022
Sunamp said two additional sizes in its fourth generation Thermino heat battery range, the 180 and 250, would be introduced in the first half of 2022, following the range's launch in November 2021.
Updated ventilation standards enacted
Ventilation standards introduced on 15 June 2022 place explicit responsibility on contractors, sub-contractors and installers to ensure work complies with Part F of the Building Regulations.
- May 2022
Ofgem announces administration of Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Ofgem has taken over administration of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which opened to applications on 23 May 2022 and offers grants towards heat pumps and biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Chancellor outlines financial support following Commons BEIS Committee appearance
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to Ofgem's chief executive asking for five urgent energy market reforms, citing the Chancellor's 26 May 2022 support announcement that followed his Commons committee appearance.
EBSS doubled to £400 and made non-repayable
The Chancellor doubled the Energy Bills Support Scheme to £400 on 26 May 2022 and made it a non-repayable grant, replacing the original £200 discount that households would have repaid.
Grants and SchemesEnergy Bills and the Price CapYour Type of Home
Government announced £400 grant for domestic electricity customers
The government confirmed on 26 May 2022 that domestic electricity customers would receive £400 of support with their energy bills, paid as a grant rather than a repayable reduction.
Government announces cost of living package funded partly by windfall tax
The Chancellor announced a £15bn package of support for households on 26 May 2022, including a £400 energy grant, a £650 payment for means tested benefit claimants and a 25% levy on oil and gas profits.
Rules and RegulationGrants and SchemesEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Government announces energy bills support measures in House of Commons
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to the Chancellor listing ten unanswered questions about the energy bills support announced in the House of Commons on 26 May 2022, warning it will not fix fuel poverty.
Rules and RegulationYour Type of HomeEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Government announces financial support to help with cost of living crisis
The government has announced a £400 grant for all households towards energy bills and a targeted £650 payment for those on the lowest incomes, drawing a response from consumer body Which?.
Household Support Fund extended to 31 March 2023
The government has extended the Household Support Fund to 31 March 2023 with an additional £500 million, bringing total funding announced since October 2021 to £3 billion including Barnett impact.
Ofgem chief tells MPs October price cap likely to rise to about £2,800
Ofgem's chief executive told MPs the household energy price cap is likely to rise to about £2,800 in October, an increase of roughly £800 on the level then in force.
Energy Bills and the Price CapStatisticsRules and Regulation
Outcome documents published for Part L review
The Welsh Government has published the summary of responses and final impact assessment from its review of Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations, two years after the consultation closed.
SSEN completes £4.6 million Dorset network upgrade
SSEN has completed a £4.6 million upgrade to a 32 kilometre electricity circuit serving Poole and Shaftesbury in Dorset, which it says strengthens supplies to around 160,000 homes and businesses.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme opens for grant applications
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened for grant applications on 23 May 2022, offering £5,000 or £6,000 towards heat pumps and, in limited cases, biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Heat Pump Association welcomes launch of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Heat Pump Association has welcomed the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which opened with grants of £5,000 for air source and £6,000 for ground source heat pumps in England and Wales.
Tesla opens 15 UK Supercharger sites to non-Tesla EVs in Europe-wide pilot
Tesla has opened 15 of its 98 UK Supercharger sites to drivers of other electric vehicle brands as part of a Europe-wide pilot, with non-Tesla drivers paying higher rates unless they subscribe.
SSEN launches LCT Connections tool in industry first
SSEN Distribution has launched an online tool that gives automatic quotes for connecting low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, the first DNO to offer spreadsheet uploads.
Ofgem opens consultation on possible wholesale cost adjustment to the default tariff cap
Ofgem has opened a consultation on whether suppliers face extra efficient wholesale costs beyond the default tariff cap, covering cap periods eight and nine, with responses due by 14 June 2022.
Ofgem publishes statutory consultation on wholesale methodology changes
Ofgem has published a statutory consultation proposing quarterly updates to the energy price cap's wholesale methodology, a change it later confirmed would take effect from October 2022.
LCCC updated its Q2 2022 forecast
Ofgem has confirmed it will remove the £0/MWh floor from the Contracts for Difference allowance in the default tariff cap from 1 October 2022, after recalculating the supplier benefit at £11.44 per customer.
Consultation launched on proposed expansion of Warm Home Discount in Scotland
The UK government has opened a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount in Scotland, proposing £49 million a year in support, £150 rebates and 50,000 more households.
Rules and RegulationGrants and SchemesScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
NEA responds to BEIS consultation on Energy Bills Support scheme
National Energy Action has told BEIS that its Energy Bills Support scheme has significant deficiencies, warning that the poorest households may receive less or no benefit while paying for it.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapYour Type of Home
Oxera publishes review of Ofgem's role in retail market collapse
An Ofgem-commissioned review by consultancy Oxera, published on 3 May 2022, examined the regulator's role in the collapse of 29 Great British energy suppliers between July 2021 and May 2022.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme launched with £450m budget
The government launched the £450m Boiler Upgrade Scheme in May 2022, offering grants of up to £6,000 towards heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers in England and Wales.
Chancellor announces enhanced package of customer support
Energy UK said international wholesale gas prices compounded by the Russian invasion of Ukraine led the Chancellor to announce an enhanced package of customer support, but called it a missed opportunity on energy efficiency.
Cost of living support package announced
The government doubled supplier loans to £400 per household as non-refundable payments and added payments of £650, £300 and £150, raising the local authority fund to £1.5 billion.
Ecodesign requirements for stoves due to come into force in the UK
Ecodesign emission and efficiency requirements for wood burning stoves are due to come into force in the UK in 2022, with all stoves placed on the market after January 2022 required to comply.
End Fuel Poverty Coalition writes to Chancellor over ten failures in energy bills plans
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has written to the Chancellor listing ten unanswered questions about the Government's 26 May energy bills support and asking for a meeting to discuss them.