Oral Answers to Questions

Cat Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 20th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

14. What fiscal steps he is taking to support people with their energy costs.

[Andy Carter (Warrington South) (Con)]

17. What recent fiscal steps his Department has taken to support families with the cost of energy bills.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jeremy Hunt]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that issue. There are 4.1 million people across the country on prepayment meters, and the Ofgem energy price cap covers all prepayment meter customers and ensures that they pay a fair price for their energy. Licence conditions require energy suppliers to provide extra support for those customers because, as the hon. Gentleman said, we recognise how vulnerable they are. We will continue to monitor the situation over the months ahead, because we are aware of the extreme vulnerabilities of that group.

[Cat Smith]

A great number of my constituents who live in park home sites such as Willowgrove park in Knott End-on-Sea or Smithy Park in Winmarleigh, as well as boat dwellers on the Galgate marina, are concerned about their energy bills but seem to have been forgotten about by the Government. When is the £400 payment of support likely to be made to people in park homes and on boats, and what support will be available from April onwards?

[Jeremy Hunt]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for asking that question because I have a number of park home residents in my constituency. The answer is that they can apply online for that support from January.