Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Ed Davey and Mary Macleod

Thursday 17th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davey]

I do not think the hon. Gentleman has been listening. The Deputy Prime Minister announced the deal we have struck with the six big energy providers. They are now committed to writing every year to their customers telling them what is the best tariff for them.

[Mary Macleod (Brentford and Isleworth) (Con)]

T2. Under the previous Labour Government the number of households living in fuel poverty rose to almost 6 million. What are this Government doing to help the poorest households in my constituency?

[Mr Davey]

We are doing a huge amount, from the warm home discount to the push on collective switching. My hon. Friend will know that today’s figures on fuel poverty show a fall of 0.75 million, but we should not celebrate that because those figures are based on the current measure of fuel poverty. If they were recalculated using the methodology proposed by John Hills, the fuel poverty figures would stand still. There can be no room for complacency; we have to redouble our efforts to tackle fuel poverty.