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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to relieve the financial pressures of utility bills for people on lower incomes during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Secretary of State announced on 19 March that the Government, working with Citizens Advice, Ofgem and Energy UK have secured an industry-wide agreement to a set of principles for assisting consumers through difficulties caused by Covid-19 to:

• Identify and prioritise customers at risk
• Support customers who are impacted financially as a direct or indirect result of Covid 19.
• Support prepayment meter customers directly or indirectly impacted by Covid 19 to stay on supply.
• Provide information to their customers

The support offered will be based on the individual circumstances of the customer and the systems, processes and capability of the supply company, but could include extending discretionary or friendly credit, or sending out a pre-loaded top up card for traditional prepay customers who are unable to top up.