Oral Answers to Questions

Pauline Latham Excerpts

Thursday 31st January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)]

5. What steps he is taking to help households with their energy bills.

[Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

7. What steps he is taking to reduce consumers’ energy bills.

[Mr Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to reduce consumers’ energy bills.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Davey]

The hon. Lady is a real campaigner on payday loans and I congratulate her on her work. She knows an awful lot about interest rates on unsecured credit, including payday loans, and how high they can be. I therefore hope she tells Labour Front Benchers about them. They have criticised the interest rate on the green deal, but that is one of the most competitive interest rates around for unsecured credit. The green deal is a good job, and will help everyone who is suffering from fuel poverty.

[Pauline Latham]

The big six manipulated the previous schemes that Labour put in place to help people with energy efficiency measures to get their bills down by sending out light bulbs. This Government have started a new scheme that will not be open to fraud, and that will include measures that will actually bring people’s bills down. Can the Secretary of State update the House on the progress of the new energy company obligation?

[Mr Davey]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. While the carbon emissions reduction target had its successes, more than 300 million light bulbs were provided in the early years of the scheme and we estimate that approximately a third of them are still lying unused in cupboards. There was no doubt that we needed to reform the CERT. She is absolutely right to say that the ECO is a much better scheme. As the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) said, it is already under way and having a real effect in bringing help to people.