Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of households not connected to the gas grid in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland a by (i) local authority and (ii) constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BEIS publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network for Great Britain by country, English regions and local authority. This includes properties where a gas grid connection is possible but no connection has been made. Equivalent data is available at Lower layer Super Output Area(LSOA) and Middle layer Super Output Area(MSOA) levels, but not by constituency. For Northern Ireland, data on gas connections is available via the Annual Retail Energy Market Monitoring Report.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent representations he has received on the potential merits of setting a limit to the extra charges, in addition to the regular bill, which can be charged by energy companies on the bills of non-direct debit customers who pay by cash, cheque or over the phone.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BEIS Ministers and officials regularly receive representations on a range of issues relating to energy markets.
Rules set by Ofgem mean suppliers can only charge more for one payment method than another if the price differential is cost reflective. Non-direct debit customers who prefer to receive paper energy bills by post cost more to serve than those with direct debit arrangements. Suppliers also incur charges for these customers to pay their energy bills by cash and cheque at facilities such as the Post Office or Paypoint.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of households which are not connected to the gas grid in (a) the UK, (b) Great Britain, (c) Scotland, (d) England, (e) Wales and (f) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BEIS publishes estimates of the number of domestic properties not connected to the gas network for Great Britain by country, English regions and local authority. This includes properties where a gas grid connection is possible but no connection has been made. For Northern Ireland, data on gas connections is available via the Annual Retail Energy Market Monitoring Report.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) Ofgem, (b) energy companies, (c) consumer organisations, (d) organisations advocating against fuel poverty, (e) organisations which advocate on behalf of older people and (f) other relevant stakeholders on setting a limit to the standing charges which can be charged by energy companies.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department meets regularly with a range of stakeholder to discuss energy retail market issues. Decisions about standing charges are a commercial matter for energy suppliers. The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply. One component of the standing charge cost relates to transmission and distribution charges, which have recently increased due to the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) levy. The Government, together with Ofgem, is looking at reforms to ensure financial resilience in the energy retail market.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
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 (a) energy companies and (b) Ofgem on (i) the forced installation of prepayment meters and (ii) the practice of self-disconnection by those households unable to afford to load credit onto prepayment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department meets regularly with Ofgem and energy suppliers to discuss energy retail market issues. As my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out in the House, officials are working on measures to support PPM consumers and we will act as soon as possible to tackle this issue.
Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter (PPM) on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Suppliers must assess whether installing a PPM, including the remote switching of a smart meter, is safe and reasonably practicable for the customer. This assessment should include identifying any vulnerability.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the financial costs to vulnerable families and households arising from (a) the forced installation of prepayment meters and (b) the practice of self-disconnection by those households unable to afford to load credit onto prepayment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are strict Ofgem rules in place to protect prepayment meter customers. Suppliers are required to identify PPM customers who are self-disconnecting and to offer short-term support through emergency and friendly-hours credit as well as to offer additional support credit to PPM customers in vulnerable situations who have self-disconnected or self-rationed. Suppliers must also support all customers who are facing financial difficulties through the inclusion of Ability to Pay principles in the supply licence.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of households with a prepayment meter include a person with (a) a disability and (b) a long term health condition.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Neither the Government nor Ofgem hold this data. Ofgem has strict rules in place that mean whenever suppliers install a prepayment meter, they must verify that it is safe and reasonably practicable to do so. This should include consideration of whether a customer’s vulnerability would make a prepayment meter inappropriate, for example where medical equipment is required.
Ofgem conducted a review assessing how suppliers support customers in vulnerable situations, including assessing suppliers’ processes for installing prepayment meters. To drive improvements, Ofgem has started compliance engagement with suppliers and required them to take action to address the weaknesses that have been identified. The Government expects suppliers to comply fully with their obligations.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
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 ensure that energy companies adhere to Ofgem guidance that prepayment meters should not be forcibly installed in households which include a person with (a) a disability and (b) a long term health condition.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BEIS Ministers and officials regularly hold discussions with Ofgem and energy suppliers on a range of issues relating to the energy markets.
Forcible installations of prepayment meters for vulnerable customers have been banned by Ofgem since 2017. In addition, Ofgem has recently undertaken a Market Compliance Review assessing how suppliers support customers in vulnerable situation. Ofgem has started compliance engagement with suppliers and asked them to take action to address the weaknesses that have been identified.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent the forced installation of prepayment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The independent energy regulator Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Prepayment meters can help reduce the risk of customers entering, or exacerbating, debt. Ofgem rules require energy suppliers to only offer a prepayment service where it is safe and reasonably practicable to do so.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent representations he has received on (a) the forced installation of prepayment meters and (b) the practice of self-disconnection by those households unable to afford to load credit onto prepayment meters.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department receives a number of representations about a range of issues relating to energy markets.
The energy regulator Ofgem has rules in place that restrict the force-fitting of a prepayment meter (PPM) on customers who are in debt, except as a last resort. Forcible installations of PPMs for the most vulnerable customers have been banned by Ofgem since 2017.
Ofgem rules also require energy suppliers to take all reasonable steps to identify prepayment meter customers who are self-disconnecting and provide appropriate support.