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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many customers have been left without energy supply as a result of an energy supplier's decision to switch smart meters from credit mode to prepayment in the past year.

The Department does not hold this data. The energy regulator Ofgem is responsible for ensuring energy suppliers comply with their regulatory obligations, including the requirement that suppliers must provide notice of at least seven working days in advance of the change from credit mode to the prepay method on the smart meter.

The Government welcome the steps Ofgem is taking to ensure energy supplier compliance with their obligations, including through their Market Compliance Review into customers struggling with bills.