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Written Question
Energy: Meters
Wednesday 18th January 2023

Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that customers are consulted with before being moved onto a prepayment meter.

Answered by Graham Stuart

Ofgem, the independent regulator, is responsible for setting the rules regarding prepayment meter transfers. These rules require that suppliers can force-fit a prepayment meter by warrant only after they have taken all reasonable steps to agree payment with customers. It should be a last resort to avoid disconnecting supply. Suppliers cannot force-fit a prepayment meter under warrant for people in very vulnerable situations without their consent. For Smart meters, the rules require suppliers to give at least seven days’ notice before moving a customer remotely to prepayment meters. Traditional meters can only be switched manually and require customer consent or a court warrant.

Written Question
Energy: Meters
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an estimate of the numbers of consumers switched to prepayment meters without consultation in 2022.

Answered by Graham Stuart

The Department does not collect this data. Moving a customer to a prepayment meter without consultation is a breach of Ofgem’s regulation and should be reported. Ofgem rules set out clear guidance on how suppliers need to consult customers before switching them to prepayment meters, and the processes suppliers have to go through before such a switch.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 25 Nov 2022
Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill

"The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech on an important issue that means so much to so many of our constituents. I commend her for her work with employers and for bringing the Bill to the House today...."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Nov 2022
COP27

"Despite some progress being made at COP27, we did not see the transformation that the world so urgently needs. Will the Minister set out what the Government will do in the next year to drive this agenda forward?..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: COP27
Written Question
Climate Change
Wednesday 26th October 2022

Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading Central)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps the Government has taken to help tackle the global climate emergency.

Answered by Graham Stuart

The net zero target remains a Government priority and the net zero transition will provide huge opportunities for jobs, investment, innovation and exports.

The UK continues to lead internationally in pursuit of our climate goals. The Government drives global climate ambition through leadership in multilateral forums, including the COP26 Presidency, as well as the recent Global Clean Energy Action Forum in the United States.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 25 Oct 2022
Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

"One of the most pernicious aspects of this Bill is the threat to maternity and paternity rights. In my constituency, and across the country, parents are already under enormous pressure because of the very high cost of childcare. My hon. Friend may well be moving on to this point, but …..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 22 Sep 2022
Shale Gas Extraction

"Residents across the south of England are deeply concerned about the risks of fracking and oil drilling. Why is the Secretary of State not listening to those concerns, or to the concerns of the Government’s former chief scientific adviser and the British Geological Survey?..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Shale Gas Extraction
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 11 Jan 2022
Reducing Costs for Businesses

"Will my hon. Friend give way?..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Reducing Costs for Businesses
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 11 Jan 2022
Reducing Costs for Businesses

"I will be brief, as I appreciate the pressure on my hon. Friend’s time. He is absolutely right to point out the link between household expenditure and businesses. In Reading and Woodley many businesses in the hospitality sector’s supply chain have been badly affected. We have a thriving microbrewery industry, …..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Reducing Costs for Businesses
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 24 Nov 2021
Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill

"It is a pleasure to speak in this important debate. I welcome the Bill but want to echo the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) by raising a series of important questions about how it will operate, in particular whether the Government’s desire …..."
Matt Rodda - View Speech

View all Matt Rodda (Lab - Reading Central) contributions to the debate on: Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill