Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of support provided to households by her Department’s energy support schemes in the last 12 months.

The Government has already spent nearly £40 billion protecting households and businesses from spiralling energy bills over last winter and we welcome recent reductions to household energy bills.

Together, the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bills Support Scheme covered around half of a typical household energy bill this past winter, and by the end of June this year had saved a typical household around £1,500. Analysis for 2022, published 28 February 2023, indicates that 350,000 households in England were kept out of fuel poverty as a result of temporary support offered to households with energy bills.

The Government is continuing to closely monitor energy prices and keeping energy support schemes under review and is planning for a range of possible scenarios. This planning is being guided by extensive experience in delivering household support last year that is also taking onboard the lessons learned from doing so.