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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise energy companies to assist people in (a) fuel poverty and (b) fuel debt.

The Government recently consulted on proposals to increase the amount that energy companies pay to fund household energy efficiency improvements for low income and vulnerable households to £450m by 2017 and up to £640m by 2018.

Energy companies are also required to provide over 2 million low income and vulnerable households with a £140 rebate off their energy bill each winter, under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

These proposals combined will see up to £1bn of support for low income and vulnerable households each year from 2018.

If suppliers believe a domestic customer is having difficulty paying all or part of their energy bills, they must offer facilities to make payments by: deductions direct from benefits, known as Fuel Direct; regular instalments paid through a means other than a prepayment meter; or, using a prepayment meter, where it is safe and reasonably practicable for the customer to do so.

It is important that customers who are experiencing difficulties in paying their gas or electricity bills contact their supplier as soon as possible to arrange a repayment plan that suits their needs.