Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many private suppliers were not included in the initial energy rebate programme.

All licensed domestic electricity suppliers are participating in delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme. On 25th September 2022, The then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy issued a Direction under Section 7(3) of the Electricity Act 1989 to enable Ofgem to implement the scheme through modifications to suppliers’ standard licence conditions.

Households without a licensed domestic electricity supply contract are not eligible for the Scheme and can apply for equivalent support through the EBSS Alternative Funding.

Companies supplying no more than 5MW of electricity which they generate themselves, of which only 2.5MW are supplied to domestic consumers, are not required to hold or register for a supply licence.