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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the severe cold weather on (1) vulnerable households, and (2) the ability of those residents on pre-payment meters to access Government help with household bills; and what steps they will take to facilitate access to support for the most vulnerable households.

The Government is delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme, a £400 non-repayable grant to support all families with their energy bills. Additionally, the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will save a typical household in Great Britain £900 this Winter.

The Government is currently reviewing the EPG. This consultation will ensure that vulnerable high energy users, such as those with medical requirements, are not put at risk of having to pay more.

Customers with smart prepayment meters have the credit applied to their meter automatically, and those with traditional prepayment meters should have received discount vouchers sent via SMS text, email, post or a Special Action Message. Electricity suppliers have reported that, as of 1 December, they had issued 4,044,554 vouchers to customers with traditional prepayment meters.