169

House of Commons

Tuesday 11th March 2008

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Other Amendments not tabled within the required notice period are marked thus

Energy Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

Committee [5th February 2008].

Clause 79

Question proposed, that the Clause stand part of the Bill.

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

47

Clause  85,  page  75,  line  8,  at end add—

‘(3)	This section does not apply to electricity display devices.

(4)	In this section, “electricity display device” means a device that can be attached to

a meter board in order to provide information on the amount of electricity being

used.’.

Public Bill Committee: 11th March 2008

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Energy Bill, continued

New Clauses

Smart meters

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State shall make regulations which require smart meters to be

installed for gas and electricity in all homes by the end of a specified period of ten

years from the date on which the regulations are made.

(2)	In this section a “smart meter” means a gas or electricity meter with two-way

communication capabilities including communication capability to a display

which illutstrates household usage and cost per unit consumed.

(3)	Regulations made under this section must be made within a period of 12 months

beginning on the date on which this Act is passed.’.

Information on ETS allocations

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	Companies involved in the generation of electricity must publish information in

their Annual Reports on the amount and value of any allocation they have

received from the EU ETS and the amount that has been paid for such an

allocation.

(2)	Companies failing to publish the information required under subsection (1) shall

be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding

level 5 on the standard scale.’.

Repayment in cases of over-charging

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC3

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State shall by regulations make provision about the repayment

of sums by energy suppliers following over-charging of consumers.

(2)	Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular—

(a)	make provision about the circumstances in which energy suppliers are

required to make repayments and the time limits for such repayments;

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Energy Bill, continued

(b)	provide for the Authority to determine charges to be made on energy

companies which fail to meet requirements relating to repayments.’.

Information on contributions towards environmental taxes

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State shall make regulations requiring energy utilities

companies to specify the proportion of those consumers’ energy bills that

contribute towards environmental taxes.

(2)	In this section “environmental taxes” means—

(a)	the Renewables Obligation Certificates,

(b)	charges resulting from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, and

(c)	charges resulting from the Carbon Emissions Reduction Targets and

future additional environmental charges.’.

Annual report on gas storage

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall, in each calendar year following that in which this

Act is passed, lay before Parliament a report on—

(a)	his assessment of the appropriate volume of onshore gas storage to ensure

long-term energy security, and

(b)	the progress that has been made towards reaching that target.’.

Feed-in tariffs

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision to introduce feed-in

tariffs for renewable micro-generation and decentralised energy.

(2)	In this section—

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Energy Bill, continued

“feed-in tariffs” means a requirement on utilities to buy electricity from

renewable sources at a feed-in rate to be set by the Secretary of State,

dependent on available renewable technology;

“micro-generation” means any generation under 250kW;

“renewable energy” means any form of energy produced in the generation

stage without using fossil fuels or emitting carbon;

“a feed-in rate” means a guaranteed payment by the energy suppliers for

each kilowatt of electricity generated.’.

Carbon capture competitions

Steve Webb

Martin Horwood

NC7

To move the following Clause:—

‘In any competitive process relating to carbon capture initiated by the Secretary

of State, equal status shall be given to all carbon capture technologies.’.

Feed-in tariffs (No. 2)

Steve Webb

Martin Horwood

NC8

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State may make regulations for the purposes of requiring

designated electricity suppliers to purchase the electricity generated from

renewable sources by small-scale generators (“feed-in tariffs”).

(2)	For the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a)	“small-scale generators” are persons generating electricity below a level

to be determined by the Secretary of State following consultation,

(b)	“renewable sources” are such energy sources as may be determined by

the Secretary of State following consultation,

(c)	“designated electricity suppliers” are those persons licensed by the

Secretary of State to supply electricity as set out in section 6 of the

Electricity Act 1989.

(3)	The Secretary of State must consult for the purposes of determining the

appropriate form of regulations as set out in subsection (5) below and must—

(a)	commence such consultation within a period of six months of the day on

which this Act is passed,

(b)	determine a reasonable period of consultation,

(c)	consult with—

(i)	designated electricity suppliers,

(ii)	the National Consumer Council (incorporating energywatch),

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Energy Bill, continued

(iii)

the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (“GEMA”),

(iv)	the National Grid,

(v)	such generators of electricity from renewable sources as he

considers appropriate,

(vi)	such environmental organisations as he considers appropriate,

and

(vii)

such other persons as he considers appropriate.

(4)	The Secretary of State shall, within six months after the end of such consultation,

make regulations for the purpose of bringing into effect feed-in tariffs pursuant to

subsection (1), in such manner as the Secretary of State shall consider

appropriate.

(5)	The regulations mentioned in subsection (4) above must—

(a)	define the renewable sources in respect of which feed-in tariffs shall

apply,

(b)	define the maximum level of electricity generation in respect of which

feed-in tariffs shall be available, as referred to in subsection (2)(a) above,

(c)	define which persons generating electricity from renewable sources shall

be eligible for feed-in tariffs,

(d)	prescribe the means by which tariffs applicable under feed-in tariffs are

to be calculated and, where necessary, amended,

(e)	prescribe, where appropriate, the terms and duration of the feed-in tariff

arrangements,

(f)	make provision for the payment and incidence of the costs of connection

of relevant small-scale generators to the National Grid,

(g)	make provision for the regulation of feed-in tariff arrangements by a

designated body,

(h)	make provision for the Secretary of State to report periodically on the

effectiveness of the regulations made under subsection (1) in achieving

their objectives,

(i)	provide for the making of any necessary amendments to distribution

licences or supply licences held by any person, and

(j)	make such changes as may be necessary to existing legislation, including

that providing for the Renewables Obligation Order.’.

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Energy Bill, continued

Report on payment of energy bills

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC9

To move the following Clause:—

‘The Secretary of State shall, in each calendar year following that in which this

Act is passed, lay before Parliament a report on—

(a)	his assessment of the number of households able to pay their energy bills

in full and on time in order to illustrate the number facing difficulty in

paying, and

(b)	the progress that has been made towards lowering this number.’.

Renewable heat obligation

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC10

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	The Secretary of State shall make regulations which introduce a renewable heat

obligation on suppliers of fossil heating fuels.

(2)	In this section a “renewable heat obligation” means a market-based regulation

which requires suppliers of fossil fuels for the purpose of heating, to replace, over

a specified period, a rising proportion of their supply with metered units of

renewable heat energy.

(3)	The regulations must provide that renewable heat energy units—

(a)	are not eligible for support under the Renewable Obligation on suppliers

of electricity, and

(b)	may be generated using—

(i)

biofuel;

(ii)	blended and co-fired biofuel;

(iii)

any solid, liquid, gaseous or electrical source of energy (other

than fossil fuel or nuclear) which is produced—

(a)	wholly by energy from a renewable source, or

(b)	wholly by a process powered wholly by such

energy;

(iv)	electricity, where there is a net surplus of useable heat energy

relative to the electrical input.

(4)	Regulations made under this section must be made within a period of 12 months

beginning on the date on which this Act is passed.’.

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Energy Bill, continued

Duty to encourage a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases

Charles Hendry

Mr John Baron

NC11

To move the following Clause:—

‘In section 3A of the Electricity Act (c. 29) (the principal objective and general

duties of the Secretary of State and the Authority), at end of subsection (1), insert

“while reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases in accordance with

Government targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions.’.

Duties of the regulatory authority

Dr Alan Whitehead

Dr Desmond Turner

Paddy Tipping

NC12

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)	For sections 4AA(1) and (2) of the Gas Act 1986 (c.44) substitute—

“(1)	The principal objective of the Secretary of State and the Gas and

Electricity Markets Authority (in this Act referred to as “the Authority”)

in carrying out their respective functions under this Part is to deliver a

secure and sustainable energy system operating within greenhouse gas

emission limits notified by the Secretary of State to the Authority in

accordance with the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008 [c. ].

(2)	The Secretary of State and the Authority shall carry out those functions

in the manner which he or it considers is best calculated to further the

principal objective, having regard to—

(a)	the protection of the interests of consumers in relation to gas or

heat conveyed through pipes, through effective competition

between persons engaged in, or in commercial activities

connected with, the transportation or supply of gas or heat; and

(b)	the need to secure that, so far as it is economical to meet them,

all reasonable demands in Great Britain for gas and heat

conveyed though pipes are met; and

(c)	the need to secure that licence holders are able to finance the

activities which are the subject of obligations imposed by or

under this Part or the Utilities Act 2000 (c.27).”

(2)	For section 3(1) and (2) of the Electricity Act 1989 (c.29) substitute—

“(1)	The principal objective of the Secretary of State and the Gas and

Electricity Markets Authority (in this Act referred to as “the Authority”)

in carrying out their respective functions under this Part is to deliver a

secure and sustainable energy system operating within greenhouse gas

emission limits notified by the Secretary of State to the Authority in

accordance with the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008 [c ].

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Revised 11 March 2008