Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking with energy suppliers to help prevent large increases in energy bill direct debits.

Ofgem is the energy regulator for Great Britain and works to protect energy consumers and ensure they are treated fairly.

Under the terms of Ofgem’s Standard Licence Conditions, customers may challenge increased direct debit payment amounts with their supplier and ask the supplier to justify how they calculated the new amount. Suppliers must explain clearly how they reached the figure they want to charge and give the meter readings used. If a customer is not happy with the supplier’s calculation, they can ask the supplier to lower the monthly payments to reflect the energy use more accurately.

If a customer is concerned about the size of a credit balance on their energy account, they can ask their supplier to refund it.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills, and therefore direct debits, permanently.