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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with representatives from energy firms on limits on payments billed via direct debit to help ensure credit balances do not become excessive.

BEIS Ministers regularly meet with stakeholders, including energy suppliers, to discuss a range of energy retail market issues. Energy suppliers should not be increasing their customers’ direct debits by more than is necessary. The Government welcomes Ofgem’s announcement of strict supervision of direct debits and credit balances.

Ofgem published a consultation 20 June on strengthening the existing requirements for licenced energy suppliers to set domestic consumers’ fixed direct debits according to the best and most current information available to them. The consultation can be viewed online at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/statutory-consultation-strengthening-fixed-direct-debit-rules.