Nusrat Ghani
Main Page: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)(8 years, 5 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Suella Fernandes (Fareham) (Con)
2. What assessment she has made of the effect of recent trends in wholesale energy prices on household bills.
Nusrat Ghani (Wealden) (Con)
16. What assessment she has made of progress by the major energy suppliers on reflecting wholesale gas prices in consumer bills.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Amber Rudd)
Lower wholesale gas and electricity costs have contributed to the price of fixed-rate dual fuel tariffs falling by £100 compared with last year. Average domestic gas prices have reduced by 6.5% since the start of this year. All the major energy suppliers have reduced their standard gas tariffs at least once this year. The Government expect suppliers to make sure any reductions in the costs of supplying energy are passed on to consumers.
Amber Rudd
My hon. Friend is right to say that interconnection can bring important, significant benefits to consumers by enabling access to cheaper electricity overseas, lowering household bills and supporting security of supply. The IFA2 project, along with others involving France, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Ireland, is progressing through Ofgem’s regulatory regime, which is designed to bring forward interconnector investment in the consumer interest.
Nusrat Ghani
Rising wholesale energy prices have a particular impact on the elderly, with an estimated 540,000 older households in fuel poverty in recent years. Evidence shows that a large number of elderly people are prevented from switching to cheaper tariffs, which can be found only through online comparison sites, because they simply do not have access to the internet. What is the Department doing to ensure that the major energy suppliers are making their cheaper tariffs accessible to the most vulnerable in society?