Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of not including (a) swimming pools and (b) other leisure services in the list of sectors eligible for support with energy bills under the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme on the financial viability of (i) charitable trust not-for-profit leisure and (ii) swimming pool providers.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
During the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, analysis of many contributions from the private sector, trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations were assessed. These included leisure centres and swimming pools.
The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity, and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to ban energy suppliers from forcibly switching households having difficulty paying energy bills onto energy prepayment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Prepayment meters (PPMs) allow customers to pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping the avoidance of debt and court action. A ban on PPM switching as a last resort could lead to an increase in bailiff action. There are no plans to remove this option.
Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of PPMs. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem asking them to conduct a review to make sure suppliers are complying with those rules. The Secretary of State has also asked energy suppliers to commit voluntarily to stopping this practice.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help customers redeem lost, delayed or unclaimed repayment energy vouchers.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government works with suppliers and other stakeholders to communicate the scheme, the importance of checking post, emails and text for vouchers, and taking action to redeem them.
Suppliers are obliged to provide evidence to BEIS of action to encourage prepayment customers to redeem their vouchers. Suppliers should make a minimum of three attempts to contact customers who have not redeemed their voucher.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on vulnerable households being required by energy companies onto prepayment energy meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I met with energy suppliers, Ofgem, Energy UK and Citizens Advice to discuss matters related to prepayment meters.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on lost, delayed or unclaimed energy vouchers for prepayment meter customers.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government works with suppliers and other stakeholders to communicate the scheme, the importance of checking post, emails and text for vouchers, and taking action to redeem them.
Suppliers are obliged to provide evidence to BEIS of action to encourage prepayment customers to redeem their vouchers. Suppliers should make a minimum of three attempts to contact customers who have not redeemed their voucher.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount on households in receipt of disability benefits who were ineligible for the Warm Home Discount in winter 2022.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has expanded and reformed the Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales to target fuel poverty and provide most rebates automatically.
Households in receipt of means-tested benefits with high energy costs based on certain characteristics of their property are eligible for the rebate. Around 62% of Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance recipients receive a means-tested benefit; those with high energy costs are eligible. As a result of expanding and reforming the scheme, the Government estimates that 160,000 more households, where a person has a disability or long-term illness, will receive a rebate.
These changes do not apply in Scotland, where customers apply for a Broader Group rebate through their energy suppliers, who can set their own eligibility criteria.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he made the adequacy of Ofcom's regulatory powers for scrutinising Royal Mail's performance.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Postal Services Act 2011 gives Ofcom robust powers to scrutinise performance of any regulatory requirements it has imposed on Royal Mail, and other operators, and to enforce those requirements, including imposing financial penalties or instituting court proceedings where appropriate. The Government has no plans to seek changes to the Act.
Ofcom considers Royal Mail’s performance against its quality of service targets and will continue to closely monitor performance for 2022-23 which it has been clear should no longer be impacted by Covid-19.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will ask energy companies to equalise daily standing charges on a standard meter with those on pre-payment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy supply licence conditions state that the difference in price between methods of supplying energy must reflect the actual cost to the supplier for that method. The costs of managing pre-payment meters compared to standard meters are higher due to the different metering requirements and different payment systems. Ofgem is responsible for monitoring compliance with these terms.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with energy companies on the length of time that vulnerable pre-payment meter customers who self-disconnect can be left without energy.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem’s rules require energy suppliers to identify and support prepayment meter customers at risk of self-disconnection through the provision of emergency credit and additional support credit. Ofgem has recently undertaken a Market Compliance Review assessing how suppliers support customers in vulnerable situations, including those on prepayment meters. Ofgem has started compliance engagement with suppliers and asked them to take action to address the weaknesses that have been identified.
Regarding inherited debt, energy suppliers should update their records when the occupant of a property changes and supply the new occupants with a new card/key in a timely manner.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with energy companies on the prevalence of new prepayment meter customers inheriting debt from previous tenants.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem’s rules require energy suppliers to identify and support prepayment meter customers at risk of self-disconnection through the provision of emergency credit and additional support credit. Ofgem has recently undertaken a Market Compliance Review assessing how suppliers support customers in vulnerable situations, including those on prepayment meters. Ofgem has started compliance engagement with suppliers and asked them to take action to address the weaknesses that have been identified.
Regarding inherited debt, energy suppliers should update their records when the occupant of a property changes and supply the new occupants with a new card/key in a timely manner.