Asked by: Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of amending the licence conditions for retailers responsible for implementing smart meters so that they may use normative benchmark comparisons as an alternative to in-home displays on (a) the total cost of that implementation project and (b) the likelihood of achieving and sustaining the two per cent electricity and 2.8 per cent gas behavioural energy efficiency savings required for that project to be cost effective.
Answered by Amber Rudd
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential effect of amending the licence conditions to enable energy suppliers to offer normative benchmark comparisons as an alternative to in-home displays (IHD), due to the lack of UK evidence that such an alternative to the IHD obligation would provide a similar range and level of net benefit. However the smart metering rules are designed to allow for provision of additional engagement tools including benchmark comparisons. These may complement the information provided by the IHD and deliver additional benefits. Some suppliers are already providing benchmarked energy consumption information.
By contrast, GB trials and international experience demonstrate that IHDs are instrumental to energy saving. The recently published findings of the Smart Metering Early Learning Project provide substantial new evidence that it is realistic to expect durable consumer energy savings of 3 per cent provided engagement is effective, and that larger savings are feasible in the future.
Asked by: Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate (a) the number of households which were on social tariffs for their energy supplies before such tariffs were withdrawn and (b) the number of those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.
Answered by Lord Barker of Battle
It is estimated that 1 million households were on social or discounted tariffs in the final year (up to 31 March 2011) before the voluntary tariffs were replaced by the Warm Home Discount scheme (Source: Ofgem's Monitoring Suppliers' Social Programme 2010-2011 Report). The Department does not hold information on those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.
Asked by: Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans his Department has to provide assistance to people with cold-related health conditions who are struggling to pay their heating bills.
Answered by Lord Barker of Battle
The evidence is clear that living in cold homes can have a substantial range of negative health impacts. We have a strong package of policies already delivering assistance to those in need. These include:
- the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which funds efficient boilers and insulation measures to low income and vulnerable households and is now guaranteed until at least 2017;
- the Warm Home Discount scheme, which gave over 1.2m of the lowest income pensioners £135 off their electricity bills in winter 2013/14, and supported more than 2m households in total;
- Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments which provide support to pensioners and vulnerable low income groups; and
- the Big Energy Saving Network which is providing outreach to consumers, helping them understand tariffs and switching options as well as how they could benefit from energy efficiency programmes available to them.
In July 2013 DECC published the document Fuel Poverty: a framework for future action, this stated Government's intention to continue to prioritise ‘vulnerable' fuel poor households (i.e. those containing an elderly person, a child or someone who is long term sick or disabled) within fuel poverty policies.
We have been discussing links between fuel poverty and health with colleagues in the Department of Health, and Public Health England, at all levels, including Ministerial, as part of our preparation for a new fuel poverty strategy.
Asked by: Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on support for people in fuel poverty who suffer from cold-related health conditions.
Answered by Lord Barker of Battle
My rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change met my rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health in February 2014, specifically to discuss how DECC and the Department of Health can work together to tackle fuel poverty, building on previous collaboration.