Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more energy suppliers to join the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

Energy suppliers with 250,000 or more domestic customer accounts are obligated to participate in the Warm Home Discount scheme. For 2017/18 this covers 15 suppliers.

Suppliers with less than 250,000 domestic customer accounts can apply to join the scheme voluntarily. Ofgem are responsible for approving applications from suppliers. To support a supplier’s decision to join the scheme voluntarily, Ofgem have published guidance on their website, which includes information about the application process and a supplier’s responsibilities when participating in the scheme: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/warm-home-discount-whd

There are three suppliers participating voluntarily in the Warm Home Discount scheme for 2017/18.

The Department will consult on the operation of Warm Home Discount for 2018/19.