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 analysis from Citizens Advice on prepayment meters, published on 12 January 2023, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that organisation's finding that 3.2 million people ran out of credit on their prepayment meter in 2022 because they could not afford to top up.

Ofgem has in place licence conditions regarding Prepayment meter (PPM) customers at risk of self-disconnection. These include requirements on suppliers to offer emergency and friendly-hours credit to all PPM customers and to offer additional support credit to customers in vulnerable circumstances. I have met with suppliers to stress that they must meet their regulatory requirements and do all they can to support customers to stay on supply. I have also asked that Ofgem undertakes further compliance activity in this area. The Government is providing support totalling £900 for the average household this winter, this is in addition to the £400 energy bill discount and extra payments to low-income households and pensioners.