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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the finding of the Competition Markets Authority in its report of 24 June 2016, Energy market investigation, that 90 per cent of domestic energy customers were not sure whether they had or had never switched energy supplier, what assessment his Department has made of whether the roll-out of smart meters will create greater engagement with consumers in the energy market.

By monitoring the near-real time and historical data on the In Home Display, consumers should increasingly be able to choose the right tariff for their needs, and will no longer leave consumers to make switching decisions on the basis of estimated bills. The rollout will also enable consumers quickly to share their data with energy services companies and switching sites, via the now-live Data and Communications Company infrastructure.

These benefits have been recognised by the Competition and Markets Authority, with some of their remedies being time-limited to fill the gap between now and the completion of the smart meter roll-out.