Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the (a) total and (b) average credit balance that has been accrued to energy companies as a result of overpayment via direct debit by domestic customers in the period since 1 September 2022.

The Government does not hold this information.

Ofgem have rules designed to limit the accrual of excessive customer credit, and conducted a Market Compliance Review of these rules in summer 2022. Following their review, Ofgem report that almost a million customers had their direct debits assessed, and £117,580 of adjustments and repayments have been made by suppliers as of 2 February 2023.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/direct-debit-market-compliance-review-progress-update