Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 14 January 2015, Official Report, column 931, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the number of independent suppliers has trebled to 19 since 2010.

I would like to update the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye.

In May 2010 there were 7 independent companies supplying gas and/or electricity to households in Great Britain. Since 2010, thanks to the pro-competition, pro-consumer policies of this Government, as part of our long term economic plan, the number of independent suppliers has not just trebled, but almost quadrupled.

The Domestic Energy Market Snapshot 31 October 2014, published by Energy UK, notes that the number of suppliers in the domestic market has reached an all-time high of 26 suppliers.

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication.html?task=file.download&id=5017