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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will hold discussions with representatives of British Gas on the effect of the increase in energy tariffs on customers with pre-payment meters (a) with and (b) without pre-paid credit on their pre-payment meter.

The Government is in regular contact with industry to discuss the impact of unprecedented global gas prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure consumers are protected.

Ofgem has robust rules in place to protect Prepayment meter customers. In December 2020, Ofgem introduced Licence Conditions that require energy suppliers to provide extra support for customers using prepayment meters. These include an obligation on suppliers to make emergency and friendly-hours credit available to all pre-payment meter customers.

Where a supplier identifies that a prepayment customer is in a vulnerable situation, including where a customer is self-disconnecting or self-rationing their supply, they must offer additional support credit. When assessing how a customer will repay any credit offered, suppliers must also consider their ability to pay.