Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Annette Brooke and Chris Huhne

Thursday 1st December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the effects of Government policy on household energy bills.

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Chris Huhne)]

I am delighted to say, Mr Speaker, that I do have the answer to this question.

On 23 November, DECC published its updated assessment of the impact of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills. The latest estimates show that the average household dual fuel bill is currently 2% higher than it would have been if energy and climate change policies were not introduced. By 2020, these policies will mean that the average household dual fuel bill will be 7% lower than it would have been in the same year in the absence of our policies.

[Annette Brooke]

I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. Would he be prepared to work with the Department for Communities and Local Government to see how the benefits of the discount schemes for people on low incomes could be extended to park homes, where the site owner is likely to buy in bulk and then resell, perhaps at quite a high price? To help the very vulnerable people in park homes, could there be a specific campaign to tell park home owners that they are eligible for the green deal?

[Chris Huhne]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question. As a long-standing campaigner for people who live in park homes, she knows that they are far too often overlooked in schemes that benefit people who live in substantial and ordinary properties. It is crucial that we have the dialogue that she asks for to ensure that we help those people as far as we can. There are obviously practical issues that we need to address. We will try to get to the bottom of this.