Policy paper

British Sign Language 5-year plan: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – 1-year update, July 2026 (English and BSL versions)

Updated 15 July 2026

This was published under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igvA6n7kYjc

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Progress and impact in the last 12 months

Department-wide British Sign Language (BSL) awareness campaign

We ran 2 internal events titled ‘Why British Sign Language matters at DESNZ’ to raise awareness of the department’s BSL obligations and capabilities.  

The first took place during National Inclusion Week in October 2025. The second event in November 2025 was aimed specifically at policy professionals.

Skills development and resources

We have worked closely with a BSL user within the department on 2 fronts:

1.  To advise and enhance departmental BSL output to ensure that it is quality-assured and is as effective as it can be.
2. To co-present at the internal events to share her lived experience of family members who rely on BSL.

Communications prioritisation framework and forward look

We identified priority content for BSL translation: 

1. For ‘A Little Saves a Lot’, our energy savings campaign, 3 animated films featuring a BSL interpreter were shared on YouTube. These have been viewed 289 times, with the ‘how to turn your central heating down’ film viewed 188 times. 

2. To support the Warm Home Discount, a film featuring BSL interpretation was shared on YouTube. This was viewed 90 times.

Addition of BSL provision to departmental phone lines

An audit of operational phone lines identified that 2 should have provision for a text or video relay service: our Consumer Advice and Information (CAI) Service and the Warm Home Discount (WHD) Service.

As a new provider was about to be procured for the CAI phone line, a requirement to provide a text or video relay service was added to the tender specifications. The provider that was subsequently appointed has that capability.

Capability to handle text and video calls was added to the WHD Service phone line in Autumn 2025. Between October 2025 and February 2026, 6,086 phone calls were received from BSL users.

Priorities for the next 12 months

Continued focus on raising awareness within the department via Internal Communications about BSL and our legal obligations – for example, via features on the intranet.

Create and distribute BSL best practice guidance materials for all directorates, with examples of DESNZ BSL content to date.

Continued audit of DESNZ phone lines to check for BSL provision, including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Warm Homes: Local Grant phone lines and identify any new phone lines that might be launched as part of the Warm Homes Plan.

Explore relevant content creators who might work with DESNZ to produce content for their channels and/or ministerial channels.

Look at options to include BSL videos on the new Heat Energy Advice tool on GOV.UK once it has launched in late 2026.

Carry out forward looks every 3 months to identify priority content for BSL translation, for example: 

• supporting announcements or consumer moments such as Ofgem’s Price Cap, including an explainer video to embed on a GOV.UK page and share on social media channels
• when the Warm Home Discount is available from October, look to promote the phone line and what customers will need to do to get the support
• any upcoming announcements on topics such as pre-payment meters and social tariffs