Oral Answers to Questions

Julie Hilling Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)]

6. How many people self-disconnected from their energy supplies in the last 12 months.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

The Department does not hold, and never has held, this information. However, Ofgem monitors disconnection issues more broadly, and in particular the obligation on energy companies not to disconnect vulnerable customers during winter months. I am pleased to be able to tell the House that Ofgem’s latest figures show that in 2011 the number of people disconnected from their energy supply for debt-related reasons fell by 54% for electricity and 59% for gas.

[Julie Hilling]

The energy companies proudly tell us they rarely disconnect customers. However, last year they installed prepayment meters to recover debt in more than 200,000 households, which increases the cost of power and, more importantly, means some households cannot afford to use gas and electricity. Will the Minister ask the energy companies to record the number of people who are so-called “self-disconnecting”?

[Gregory Barker]

This is obviously an issue for Members on both sides of the House, and we need to do more to address it. I am very pleased that we have made progress in reducing the total number of disconnections, but I take on board the hon. Lady’s point and I would be very happy to meet her to discuss her ideas.