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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to policy paper, How households and businesses will be supported by the Energy Prices Bill, what estimate his Department has made of the potential level of arrears households have accrued while awaiting payments from the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund since the announcement of that fund.

Since publication of the referenced policy paper, the Government has doubled support for alternatively fuelled households in recognition of the cost-of-living pressures caused by these rising fuel costs. This support will be available in February.

The Government is monitoring prices over the coming months and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from extraordinary fuel prices.