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 support voluntary and faith groups with increased energy bills during the cost of living crisis.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible non-domestic customers, including voluntary and faith groups, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HMT led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap set at £5.5 billion.