Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of smart meter rollout on higher usage customers, including retired and elderly consumers; and what steps his Department has taken to help support customers with higher domestic energy costs.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Smart meters automatically send accurate readings to energy suppliers, removing the need for consumers, including those with poor mobility or older consumers, to take manual readings and helping ensure bills are based on actual rather than estimated usage.
In-home displays also provide near-real-time information on energy use and costs, helping consumers understand how to use less energy and save on their bills.
As recently announced, VAT will be removed from domestic electricity bills from October 1st, taking an expected £45 off October’s yearly Ofgem price cap and adding to the £150 removed from bills last Budget, now factored into bills.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the extent to which energy providers are requiring smart meter customers to vary their usage patterns as a condition of accessing advertised tariff benefits; and what consumer protections are in place in those circumstances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Smart meters unlock flexible time-of-use tariffs that incentivise consumers to shift consumption to off-peak periods when overall demand is low and can pay them to use energy when there is surplus on the grid, such as on sunny or windy days. Consumers with these tariffs are not required to use energy at set times.
Ofgem’s supply licence conditions require suppliers to make tariff and contract information available to customers before they enter contracts, and more broadly to treat domestic customers fairly, honestly and transparently.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the terms and conditions attached to smart meter tariff benefits, including off-peak and free supply offers, are communicated transparently to consumers at the point of sign-up.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem’s supply licence conditions require energy suppliers to take all reasonable steps to communicate the principal terms of an energy contract in plain and intelligible language.
Licence conditions also require suppliers to treat customers fairly, provide tariff information in a way that is complete, accurate and not misleading, and comply with rules on marketing, sales and contract information. Ofgem is responsible for monitoring and enforcing supplier compliance with these obligations.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations on upgrading the electricity grid in the report by Electricity Systems Operators entitled Beyond 2030, published on 19 March 2024.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The network build proposed in ‘Beyond 2030’ supports the connection of 21GW of offshore wind and other low carbon generation, covering £58 billion estimated investment into the electricity network.
Network expansion will support energy security and decarbonisation goals including connecting renewable energy to the grid, and the electrification of industry, heat and transport. The proposals will accelerate delivery of low-cost, homegrown energy to homes and businesses and reduce curtailment of renewable energy resulting from network constraints.
National Grid ESO estimates the proposals could add £15 billion to the UK economy and support over 20,000 jobs annually.
Asked by: Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat - Chesham and Amersham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
What steps she is taking to increase grid capacity.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Through the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan, we are halving the construction time of new transmission infrastructure from 14 years to 7, delivering the grid capacity needed for a decarbonised energy system and meet a doubling of electricity demand by 2050.