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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of households (a) with prepayment meters, (b) on standard variable tariffs and (c) on fixed-price tariffs; what the average price paid was for a dual fuel energy bill on each available tariff and type in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

Customer proportions and energy bill estimates are based on a BEIS survey of energy providers which covers around 84 per cent of the market. This data is published as part of our Quarterly Energy Prices publication.

a) At the end of Q1 2017 the proportion of GB households on a prepayment meter was 14 per cent for standard electricity, 21 per cent for Economy 7 electricity and 13 per cent for gas.

b) At the end of Q1 2017 the proportion of GB households on variable tariffs was 66 per cent for standard electricity and 65 per cent for gas.

c) Data is supplied to BEIS in confidence so dual fuel bills are not available for each individual tariff, however aggregate statistics of average bills by payment and tariff type can be published. The table below shows average 2016 dual fuel bills based on combined UK standard electricity bills and GB gas bills, using consumption levels of 3,800kWh/year of standard electricity and 15,000kWh/year of gas.

Domestic energy price statistics are also published by Ofgem at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/data-portal/retail-market-indicators.