Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will provide a new social energy tariff for (a) low income households and (b) households with energy-intensive medical equipment.

The Government is continually reviewing the financial support it provides for the differing energy needs within its communities and prioritising support for the most vulnerable. The Help for Households campaign includes numerous cost-of-living support schemes in 2023/2024, such as the Winter Fuel Payment, Warm Home Discount, Disability Cost of Living Payment and the Cost-of-Living Payment for those on means tested benefits which has increased from £650 in 2022/2023 to £900 in 2023/2024.

The Energy Price Guarantee was introduced in October 2022 to protect millions of households from the rising high cost of energy. The outlook for energy prices has improved significantly since last year’s Autumn Statement, with the Ofgem price cap falling 55% since its peak earlier this year, which is good news for households who have seen their energy prices fall.