Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen Ofgem's powers to enforce their rules regarding vulnerable customers.

Ofgem has a number of tools to protect consumers, including enforcement powers against a breach in licence conditions such as, SLC 26 (services for specific domestic customers), SLC 27 (payments, security deposits and disconnections) SLC 28 (prepayment meters), and has prioritised its work to protect consumers in vulnerable situations. It has published a Consumer Vulnerability Strategy which sets out its approach to identifying and tackling consumer vulnerability in the energy market. Ofgem is due to publish a report on progress against the strategy later this summer.