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777072

registered interest
date	24/10/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2017 to Question 108128, on energy: debts, what steps his Department is taking to support vulnerable consumers with debts associated with unpaid energy bills.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	109406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2017 answer text <p>Ofgem’s Standard Licence Condition 27 requires suppliers to offer customers experiencing difficulties paying their energy bills the following:</p><ul><li><p>A means where payment may be deducted at source from benefits received by that customer;</p></li><li><p>Regular instalments paid through a means other than a prepayment meter - taking all reasonable steps to ascertain the customer’s ability to pay; and</p></li><li><p>Using a prepayment meter, where it is safe and reasonably practicable in all the circumstances of the case for the Domestic Customer to do so, and taking all reasonable steps to ascertain the customer’s ability to pay.</p></li></ul><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, the Department for Business, Energy &amp; Industrial Strategy continues to work closely with the Regulator on initiatives such as removing barriers that vulnerable customers face in switching to cheaper suppliers.</p> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 30/10/2017 14:41:39 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

772367

registered interest
date	17/10/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the level of personal debt associated with unpaid energy bills; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	108128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2017 answer text <p>Figures on levels of personal debt associated with unpaid energy are sourced from the Ofgem report ‘vulnerable consumers in the retail energy market 2017’. Ofgem estimates that in 2016 the proportions of customers in debt for gas by nation were: England: 2.5%, Scotland: 2.7%, and Wales: 2.3%. For electricity the proportions are similar with England: 2.5%, Scotland: 2.5%, and Wales: 2.2%. The average level of debt owed at the point customers started repaying was for gas £622 and for electricity £628.</p><p>The full report can be found at <a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/10/consumer_vulnerability_report_web.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/10/consumer_vulnerability_report_web.pdf</a></p><p>When a supplier becomes aware a customer is having difficulties paying their energy bills they are required by license conditions to offer:</p><ul><li>A means where payment may be deducted at source from benefits received by that customer;</li><li>Regular instalments paid through a means other than a prepayment meter - taking all reasonable steps to ascertain the customer’s ability to pay.</li><li>using a prepayment meter, where it is safe and reasonably practicable in all the circumstances of the case for the Domestic Customer to do so, and taking all reasonable steps to ascertain the customer’s ability to pay.</li></ul> answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James question first answered 23/10/2017 10:21:03 answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James previous answer version 16639 answering member constituency Stourbridge answering member printed Margot James answering member 4115 label Biography information for Margot James
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

227289

registered interest
date	13/03/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on the average customer debt to suppliers of (a) gas and (b) electricity in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland in each year since May 2010 up to the most recent period for which records are available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
uin	227527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the average amount of customer debt owed to energy supply companies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 18/03/2015 17:55:20 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

227291

registered interest
date	13/03/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what information his Department holds on total customer debt to suppliers of (a) gas and (b) electricity in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland in each year since 2010 up to the most recent period for which records are available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
uin	227526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the total amount of customer debt owed to energy supply companies.</p><p>Although Ofgem closely monitors domestic energy suppliers’ performance and publishes information in relation to debt, they do not publish data showing the total amount of outstanding debt owed by customers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 18/03/2015 15:09:19 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

226001

registered interest
date	09/03/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many prepayment meter customers are in arrears for (a) electricity and (b) gas in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England and (iv) Wales in each year from May 2010 up to the most recent period for which records are available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
uin	226856
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on how many prepayment customers are in arrears with their electricity and/or gas supply company.</p><p>Ofgem closely monitors domestic energy suppliers’ performance and publishes information in relation to debt owed by domestic customers for their electricity and gas supplies in its Social Obligations Annual Reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-work/working-consumers/supplier-performance-social-obligations" target="_blank">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-work/working-consumers/supplier-performance-social-obligations</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 17/03/2015 16:51:07 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

224700

registered interest
date	03/03/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average amount of outstanding prepayment meter debt for (a) electricity and (b) gas home energy customers was in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland in each year from May 2010 up to the most recent period for which records are available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
uin	226044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the average amount of outstanding prepayment meter debt.</p><p>Ofgem closely monitors domestic energy suppliers’ performance and publishes information in relation to debt, but they do not publish data showing the average amount of outstanding debt by payment method such as prepayment meters, or by customers living in Scotland, England or Wales. Ofgem does not monitor the gas and electricity supply market in Northern Ireland as it is a devolved matter.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 09/03/2015 15:43:26 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 48372 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

222495

registered interest
date	20/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that families with children which fall behind with their energy bills receive the Warm Home Discount.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	224563
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government recently responded to the consultation on extending the Warm Home Discount to 2015/16. In addition to extending the scheme to 2015/16, all participating suppliers will have to adopt standard criteria for their Broader Group schemes. This will make the Warm Home Discount more accessible to families with children and make it simpler to switch between the participating suppliers. The rebate for customers in 2015/16 has been maintained at £140 which means that an additional 71,000 Broader Group rebates will be paid to customers, potentially benefitting for the first time.</p><p>For setting a repayment plan for customers who fall behind on payments, all energy suppliers are required to take ability to pay into account. Some suppliers also provide special grants and other services to help families. Further information is available free from the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.</p> answering member constituency Hastings and Rye answering member printed Amber Rudd question first answered 02/03/2015 11:23:35 answering member 3983 label Biography information for Amber Rudd
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

179570

registered interest
date	12/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of how many families with children are currently in debt to their energy companies.
tabling member constituency	North West Norfolk
tabling member printed	Mr Henry Bellingham
uin	224345
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on how many families with children are in debt to their energy companies.</p><p>Ofgem closely monitors domestic energy suppliers’ performance and publishes information in relation to debt owed by domestic electricity and gas accounts holders in Great Britain, but they do not publish data relating to families with children.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 13:40:31 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1441 label Biography information for Lord Bellingham

179571

registered interest
date	12/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if the Government will take steps to prioritise support for families with children when they fall behind on their bills to energy companies.
tabling member constituency	North West Norfolk
tabling member printed	Mr Henry Bellingham
uin	224346
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>This Government has implemented a range of measures to help vulnerable households reduce their energy bills, including Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount.</p><p>For those customers who fall behind on payments, suppliers are obliged to take their ability to pay into account when setting a repayment plan. Some suppliers also provide special grants and services to help families. Further information is available free from the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 13:41:21 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1441 label Biography information for Lord Bellingham