Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on (a) developing and (b) implementing a debt relief scheme for households experiencing energy debt.

The Government knows that more needs to be done to tackle the problem of energy debt. Too many families paid the price of our dependence on fossil fuels during the energy price crisis, and its impacts are still being felt – both by consumers who are in debt and those who are not.

In November 2025, Ofgem published an update of its Debt Strategy, setting out its near-term actions and priorities to support suppliers to reduce the level of debt in the sector and drive better engagement between consumers and suppliers to ensure that consumers in payment difficulty receive adequate support.

This included an update on its proposals for introducing a Debt Relief Scheme, which aims to tackle around £1bn of debt built up by some consumers during the energy crisis. Ofgem is currently considering responses to its latest consultation on the scheme.