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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2023 to Question 127746 on Iron and Steel: Energy, if he will make an estimate of the value of the Government support to the steel sector with energy costs since 2013.

The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will support steel producers facing high energy prices through issuing a per-unit discount to their energy bills. The calculated discount will depend on the terms of their contract and the future price of energy.

We cannot provide an average estimate, but for steel firms eligible for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industry support, for electricity the maximum discount on 70% of usage will be £89 per megawatt hour (MWh) with a price threshold of £185 per MWh. For gas, the maximum discount will be £40 per MWh with a price threshold of £99 per MWh, also on 70% of usage. The remaining 30% of usage will be supported at the same level as non-domestic customers who do not qualify for the Energy and Trade Intensive Industry support.

We have provided the steel sector more than £800m since 2013 to help with energy costs.