Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has had recent discussions with energy suppliers on taking steps to support people with prepayment meters who have not yet received an Energy Bill Support Scheme voucher.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On 4 December 2022, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to all energy suppliers with customers on traditional prepayment meters reiterating the importance of ensuring these customers receive their vouchers and exhorting them to ensure customers receive prompt service and accurate information.
I then met CEOs of supplier companies on 7 December to press them further and hear about ongoing improvements.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers have been issued to people on prepayment meters in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government does not hold constituency data.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what percentage of prepayment customers had received their Energy Bills Support Scheme voucher by 30 November 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is monitoring effectiveness of the scheme closely, including receiving monthly data from energy suppliers. 4,044,554 vouchers were issued to 1 December. The latest figures were published on gov.uk on 20 December. Redemption of vouchers issued to traditional prepayment meter customers rose from 59% in October to 72% in November.
The Government requires suppliers to evidence that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts by more than one method to contact customers who have not redeemed a voucher.
Customers with smart prepayment meters receive the discount credited directly to their meter by their supplier.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to support people with prepayment meters who have not yet received an Energy Bill Support Scheme voucher.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is monitoring effectiveness of the scheme closely, including receiving monthly data from energy suppliers. 4,044,554 vouchers were issued to 1 December. The latest figures were published on gov.uk on 20 December. Redemption of vouchers issued to traditional prepayment meter customers rose from 59% in October to 72% in November.
The Government requires suppliers to evidence that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts by more than one method to contact customers who have not redeemed a voucher.
Customers with smart prepayment meters receive the discount credited directly to their meter by their supplier.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 effectiveness of the delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme for prepayment customers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is monitoring effectiveness of the scheme closely, including receiving monthly data from energy suppliers. 4,044,554 vouchers were issued to 1 December. The latest figures were published on gov.uk on 20 December. Redemption of vouchers issued to traditional prepayment meter customers rose from 59% in October to 72% in November.
The Government requires suppliers to evidence that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts by more than one method to contact customers who have not redeemed a voucher.
Customers with smart prepayment meters receive the discount credited directly to their meter by their supplier.