Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with relevant organisations on steps to ensure that rural and island communities have (a) equitable access to SMART meters and (b) support for their transition to renewable energy.

Energy suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to install smart meters throughout Great Britain, including rural and island communities. The Department is working with energy suppliers to identify and share best practice in deploying meters in harder to reach areas, including the use of "roaming" teams of installers who are normally based elsewhere visiting communities at regular intervals.

On the energy transition more widely, Great British Energy will support local and combined authorities – as well as community energy groups – to roll out small and medium-scale renewable energy projects through the Local Power Plan.