Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2023 to Question 181618 on Alternative Fuel Payments: Second Homes, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of Alternative Fuel Payments being made to suppliers and paid directly to consumers without verification checks.

The Alternative Fuel Payment scheme is being delivered by suppliers. Suppliers were obliged to pay customers during February, for which Government produced a list of eligible Meter Point Administration Numbers (MPANs) and told electricity suppliers to pay those customers. Guidance to suppliers on how this process should be completed was published on January 23rd and is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-alternative-fuel-payment-afp-scheme-in-great-britain-guidance-for-electricity-suppliers.