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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the numbers of people who have successfully accessed support through the prepayment voucher scheme.

In the first 3 months of the scheme energy suppliers issued 6,020,560 (99%) vouchers to customers with traditional prepayment meters, of which 4,261,940 (71%) have been redeemed by end December. This is an increase from 66% in the previous month.

The Government works with suppliers, consumer groups and charities to communicate the scheme and the importance of checking post, emails and text for the vouchers and taking action to redeem them.

Suppliers have an obligation to make a minimum of three attempts by at least two different methods to contact customers who have not redeemed their voucher. Vouchers are valid for 90 days. Replacement vouchers can be issued but must be redeemed by the 30 June 2023.