Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Fortune Excerpts

Tuesday 24th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

21. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

[Peter Fortune (Bromley and Biggin Hill) (Con)]

24. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)]

Families will be deeply concerned about the impacts they are facing as a result of the Iran conflict. This Government are determined to fight the people’s corner. As a result of actions in the Budget, the energy bill price cap will fall from next week and is guaranteed till the end of June. We have already provided £50 million of immediate support for vulnerable customers who use heating oil and will act to prevent unfair practices like price gouging. Above all, we will work to end this conflict, which is so essential and urgent for our national interest.

--- Later in debate ---

[Ed Miliband]

Families in the right hon. Lady’s constituency will see savings on their bills from next week thanks to the actions of this Government. She is wrong on her facts, because, if we look across 2025, we will see that bills were lower in real terms than in 2024. We remain absolutely committed to our manifesto commitment to cut bills by up to £300 by 2030.

[Peter Fortune]

The Secretary of State promised that Great British Energy would lead to a “mind-blowing” reduction in bills. Can he confirm how much the average family has saved as a result specifically of Great British Energy?

[Ed Miliband]

Public services across the country, including schools and hospitals—I hope this will come to the hon. Member’s constituency—are seeing reductions in their bills, and money is being transferred to the frontline. We on the Government Benches support those proposals. We support lower bills. As I said to the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), he can look forward to his constituents having lower bills as a result of this Government’s actions.