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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is his Department will take steps to ensure that energy and utility companies suspend disconnections of customers unable to afford payment of their bills.

The energy regulator Ofgem prohibits energy suppliers from disconnecting customers who are of pensionable age during the winter months (October to March). Ofgem takes all reasonable steps during winter to avoid disconnecting premises where the occupants include a person who has a disability or a chronic sickness or is a person of pensionable age.

Suppliers must not disconnect customers for unpaid charges unless they have offered a range of repayment options and have exhausted all available means to recover a debt. In addition, suppliers are also required to identify and support pre-payment meter (PPM) customers at risk of self-rationing or self-disconnection through provision of emergency/friendly-hours credit and additional support credit.