Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Chris Huhne and Julie Hilling(13 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Chris Huhne
On the first point, it is too early to answer the hon. Lady until we have had the report from Dr Weightman and we can understand whether we need improvements in our regulatory regime and whether there are lessons to be learned. There are substantial differences between the Japanese situation and ours but I am determined that we should learn any lessons we can. On the second point, although I spent many years in financial markets I do not claim to know how they will react to particular events as they can often react in a rather faddish and fashionable manner. I think we will just have to wait and see.
Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)
10. What steps he is taking to ensure that consumers receive advice on energy-saving measures.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Chris Huhne and Julie Hilling(13 years, 8 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)
4. What recent steps he has taken to ensure that energy companies provide greater assistance to vulnerable people in meeting their energy bills.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Chris Huhne)
I recently announced the extension of the energy companies’ carbon emissions reduction target to December 2012, which will provide a greater focus on helping low-income vulnerable households. Additionally, we expect up to 250,000 poor pensioner households to receive an £80 rebate from the six major energy supply companies through the current energy rebate scheme, and we are hard at work ensuring that a focus on fuel poverty is a key feature of the green deal.
Julie Hilling
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. As more than one in three pensioners live in fuel poverty, will he follow Labour’s lead and ensure that all energy suppliers have a mandatory social tariff?
Chris Huhne
On the social tariff, I congratulate the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) on the powers introduced in the Energy Act 2010. We can use that important set of powers to try to alleviate these problems. The Department’s approach, most fundamentally, is to try to deal with the causes of the problem, not merely to use sticking plaster on the symptoms. The key thing is to identify those in fuel poverty and ensure that they have the energy-efficiency measures in place to make sure that they do not get into fuel poverty in future. With social price support we can help for one year, but if we get the energy-efficiency measures right, we help for ever.