Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an energy social tariff for disabled customers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As set out in the Autumn Statement, the Government is developing a new approach to consumer protection in energy markets, which will apply from April 2024 onwards, after the closure of the Energy Price Guarantee.
The Government has committed to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach, including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2023 to Question 126778 on Energy: Licensing, if he will take steps to ensure that Ofgem publishes an update on the compliance action being taken against energy suppliers found to be in breach of their licensing conditions, including an update on actions taken since November 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, regularly monitors how energy suppliers operate in the energy market and where necessary, can take enforcement action on energy suppliers who systematically fail to meet their licence obligations. Following Market Compliance Reviews, Ofgem requires energy suppliers with any weaknesses to take action to improve upon their performance by creating and implementing an improvement plan. Ofgem will publish updates to this work on 27th January 2023.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition's analysis of official data on the levels of excess winter deaths caused by cold homes, published in December 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that organisation's findings on trends in the number of excess deaths caused by living in cold and damp homes.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is likely that a combination of factors has contributed to excess deaths over winter 2022/23, including high flu prevalence, cold weather, the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and health conditions including heart disease and diabetes. However, the Government recognises the difficulty many households, especially vulnerable households, are experiencing this winter.
Energy efficiency improvements are the best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term. Measures are available through a range of schemes including the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Home Upgrade Grant and the Energy Company Obligation.
The Government has also announced significant support for this winter and next with specific measures for the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Oral Contribution to the Urgent Question on Forced installation of prepayment meters in homes by energy companies on 23 January 2023, for what reason the Government will not implement a ban on forced prepayment meter installations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Prepayment meters (PPMs) allow customers to pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping the avoidance of debt and court action. A ban on PPM switching as a last resort could lead to an increase in bailiff action. There are no plans to remove this option.
Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of PPMs. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem asking it to conduct a review to make sure suppliers are complying with those rules. The Secretary of State has also asked energy suppliers to commit voluntarily to stopping this practice.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to prevent disconnection from the energy network by ensuring that a minimum level of energy is supplied to each household.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government's 5-point plan on prepayment meters forms part of a wider effort to ensure that energy users are protected. The Government is also exploring longer term measures to address the issues.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Urgent Question on Forced installation of prepayment meters in homes by energy companies of 23 January 2023, Official Report, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the criteria of last resort for mandatory prepayment meter installations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
A supplier can only force-fit a prepayment meter by warrant after they have taken all reasonable steps to agree payment with a customer.
Ofgem will be carrying out a review focusing specifically on self-disconnections, remote switching and forced installations and, the checks and balances companies have around any decision to put a customer on a pre-payment meter. Furthermore, Ofgem will continue to look at the rules around mandatory moves to pre-payment meters, when a court warrant can be applied for, and the steps that need to be taken first.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2023 to Question 127884 on Energy: Meters, for what reason his Department does not plan to obligate suppliers to stop forced prepayment meter switching; and if his Department will review whether a voluntary approach is an effective way to stop that practice.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Prepayment meters (PPMs) allow customers to pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping the avoidance of debt, court action and physical disconnection. Obligating suppliers to stop PPM switching even as a last resort could lead to an increase in bailiff action.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also asked energy suppliers voluntarily to commit to stopping this practice. Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of PPMs. The Secretary of State has written to Ofgem asking it to conduct a review to make sure suppliers are complying with those rules and I met with suppliers on Wednesday 25th January.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 124060 on Question for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the minutes of his Department's meetings with (a) Ofgem and (b) energy suppliers on prepayment meters in the last six months.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has set out his 5-point plan regarding prepayment meters and will continue to work with Ofgem and suppliers on this issue. The Department does not publish minutes of meetings with suppliers however Ministers will keep the House updated as this work progresses.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any energy suppliers have been sanctioned for breaching Ofgem's rules on the fitting of prepayment meters in the last three years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As the independent regulator, Ofgem is responsible for ensuring licensed energy suppliers are complying with their licence conditions. Ofgem publishes details of its compliance and enforcement action on its website at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Rosebank oil field on the protected seabed, the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The environmental impact of offshore oil and gas developments, including potential impacts on marine habitats such as the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area, are subject to rigorous regulatory assessment by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), including consultation with government nature protection bodies and with the public.
The Environmental Statement for the Rosebank Field Development is currently being reviewed by OPRED and a decision will be published in due course.