Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a right of local supply that would enable community and smaller-scale low carbon generation schemes to sell directly to local people.

The right to local energy supply already exists under the Electricity Act 1989 and Ofgem has existing flexibility to award supply licences that are restricted to specified geographical areas or premises type. Energy suppliers already offer local tariffs which offer discounted prices at times when electricity is generated locally. The Government is considering what reforms are needed to the retail market regulatory framework to support the uptake of new and innovative business models by consumers.