1-20 of 371 results for subject:Meters
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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to extend the expiry deadline of 30 June 2023 by which existing electricity vouchers issued to pre-payment customers were due to be used.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to extend the expiry deadline of 30 June 2023 by which existing electricity vouchers issued to pre-payment customers were due to be used.
In Northern Ireland, electricity suppliers have been providing a £600 payment to domestic contract customers since January, with this Scheme closing on 30 June. The design of the scheme and the nature of the electricity market has meant that voucher redemption has been very successful. Redemption rates rapidly rose to in excess of 90% shortly after launch.
The Department worked with suppliers, consumer groups and charities in Northern Ireland to publicise and raise awareness of the voucher deadline to ensure all eligible households redeemed their vouchers, right up until the end of the Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to ensure that households on prepayment meters are prioritised for the roll out of (a) heat pumps and (b) other low cost energy sources.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to ensure that households on prepayment meters are prioritised for the roll out of (a) heat pumps and (b) other low cost energy sources.
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) is worth £1 billion per year and is focused on low income and vulnerable households, providing energy efficiency and heating measures, regardless of whether they use a prepayment meter or not.
Other targeted schemes include the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG), the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on potential regulatory enforcement action for companies that do not enable Total Heating Total Control customers to change metering systems.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on potential regulatory enforcement action for companies that do not enable Total Heating Total Control customers to change metering systems.
The smart metering system has been designed to enable a wide range of tariffs, independently of the Radio Teleswitch Service, which Total Heating Total Control tariffs rely on. Energy suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to taking all reasonable steps to install a smart meter where a meter is fitted for the first time or when an existing meter needs replacing.
The regulator Ofgem is responsible for ensuring energy suppliers comply with their regulatory obligations and take any necessary enforcement action. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero works closely with Ofgem on monitoring supplier performance.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a framework whereby energy suppliers directly credit the energy accounts of households in cases of un-redeemed pre-payment vouchers.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a framework whereby energy suppliers directly credit the energy accounts of households in cases of un-redeemed pre-payment vouchers.
For the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS), the Government undertook extensive engagement with suppliers, assessed the available technology in place for prepayment meters and used experience from previous support schemes. This indicated that vouchers were the most effective way of reaching prepayment meter customers as they do not have accounts which can readily be credited directly by the supplier.
Customers have been widely urged to redeem their vouchers promptly. Latest figures indicate 76% have been redeemed. Expired vouchers can be reissued by the supplier but all must be redeemed by 30 June 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the reasons why some prepayment meter customers have not redeemed their entitlement of vouchers under the Energy Bill Support Scheme; and what steps he is taking to help people reedem those...
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the reasons why some prepayment meter customers have not redeemed their entitlement of vouchers under the Energy Bill Support Scheme; and what steps he is taking to help people reedem those...
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 1st March to Question 149667.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring energy suppliers to credit prepayment meter customers with the value of the Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring energy suppliers to credit prepayment meter customers with the value of the Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 1st March to Question 149668.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142820 on Energy: Meters, what steps his Department will take against suppliers that refuse to be transparent with their data.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142820 on Energy: Meters, what steps his Department will take against suppliers that refuse to be transparent with their data.
Suppliers have responded to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State regarding data on the number of warrants sought and executed in 2022. The Government and Ofgem will verify this data and will publish it in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to support households which require further assistance in understanding the process to redeem energy pre-payment vouchers.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to support households which require further assistance in understanding the process to redeem energy pre-payment vouchers.
The Government has carried out extensive communications including through the Help for Households campaign, via charities and consumer groups, through community radio, translated materials and the media. This work continues alongside enhanced effort by electricity suppliers to reach customers with unused vouchers. I have raised this with a number of city region mayors and have provided resources for Local Authorities to use with their local networks. The Government will shortly be sharing these resources with Hon. Members to use within their constituencies. The Department continues to work with stakeholders to ensure every effort is made to reach all eligible households.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the value of unclaimed Energy Bill Support Scheme prepayment meter vouchers in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Wirral and (d) Wallasey constituency.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the value of unclaimed Energy Bill Support Scheme prepayment meter vouchers in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Wirral and (d) Wallasey constituency.
The Government publishes data for the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) for Great Britain at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-payments-made-by-electricity-suppliers-to-customers. Households received EBSS support worth £66 for October and November and £67 for December – March. The Government does not hold data on voucher redemptions by month of issue so is unable provide a specific value. The data below shows October, November and December vouchers issued and redeemed. The percentage of EBSS vouchers yet to be redeemed is 31% in England, 29% in the North West and in Wirral and 30% in Wallasey.
Region | October, November and December 2022 number of vouchers issued | October, November and December 2022 number of vouchers redeemed | % redeemed |
England | 4,888,150 | 3,356,700 | 69% |
North West | 753,210 | 535,360 | 71% |
Wirral (local authority) | 41,080 | 29,090 | 71% |
Wallasey (constituency) | 13,380 | 9,390 | 70% |
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of banning the forced installation of prepayment meters in households with someone with a disability.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of banning the forced installation of prepayment meters in households with someone with a disability.
All suppliers have agreed to cease the forced installation of prepayment meters and the remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode up to 31 March 2023.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem to ask that it does more to ensure suppliers protect vulnerable consumers and that they revise their practices and make sure PPMs are being installed as a genuine last resort. Ofgem has also called for evidence on identification of vulnerabilities, PPM Safe and Reasonably Practicable rules and guidance, and processes in place for installing or switching customers to PPMs by 7 March.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussion he has had with local authorities on unclaimed energy rebate vouchers for consumers on prepayment meters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussion he has had with local authorities on unclaimed energy rebate vouchers for consumers on prepayment meters.
The Government published data on Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) prepayment meter voucher redemption at local authority and constituency level on 14 February 2023 .
I called the Mayors of Tees Valley, West Midlands, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester to ask them to use their local networks to encourage people to locate and redeem their EBSS vouchers and the Government has cascaded information via DLUHC to local authorities. The Mayor of London was unavailable to take a call.
I have also organised drop-in meetings with Hon. Members, and I am writing to them to ask them to take action via their constituency networks.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with energy providers on unclaimed energy rebate vouchers for consumers on prepayment meters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with energy providers on unclaimed energy rebate vouchers for consumers on prepayment meters.
On 4 December, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to electricity suppliers reiterating the importance of ensuring traditional prepayment meter customers receive their vouchers with prompt service and accurate information from supplier call centres. Data for the first 4 months of the scheme indicates that 98% of vouchers were dispatched by suppliers.
I chaired a roundtable on 7 December 2022 with electricity suppliers serving traditional prepayment customers to emphasise the importance of increasing their efforts to improve voucher redemption rates. I met them again on 25 January 2023, to discuss traditional prepayment meters where I reiterated the importance of delivering the EBSS support to all households.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households experienced forced installations of prepayment meters by (a) warrant and (b) remote switching in 2022; and if he will publish a breakdown of those figures by constituency.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households experienced forced installations of prepayment meters by (a) warrant and (b) remote switching in 2022; and if he will publish a breakdown of those figures by constituency.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Newport East on 9th November 2022 to Question 75843 for Ofgem’s most recent data. Smart meter data includes households that have requested switching to prepayment mode. This data is not available at constituency level.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect vulnerable consumers from forcible connection to pre-payment energy meters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect vulnerable consumers from forcible connection to pre-payment energy meters.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem to ask that it does more to ensure suppliers protect vulnerable consumers. This includes revisiting the approach to enforcing supplier compliance. He has also written to suppliers insisting they revise their practices and improve their actions to support vulnerable households, to make sure prepayment meters being installed is a genuine last resort.
All suppliers have agreed to cease forced installation of prepayment meters and remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode until 31 March 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, over what time period the Government and Ofgem are investigating poor practice concerning prepayment meters.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, over what time period the Government and Ofgem are investigating poor practice concerning prepayment meters.
Ofgem has outlined the timescales for its Market Compliance Review on prepayment meters and remote switching. As per the letter on 15 February 2023, Ofgem published an update on the scope and timelines on 21 February 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142820 on Energy: Meters, when this data will be published; and where it will be published.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142820 on Energy: Meters, when this data will be published; and where it will be published.
Following a request from my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, all suppliers have provided data on the number of warrants sought and executed in 2022. The Government and Ofgem will verify this data and will publish it in due course.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, when he plans to publish details of the proposed compensation scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, when he plans to publish details of the proposed compensation scheme.
The Government will not publish details of a proposed compensation scheme. Specific matters of redress will be taken forward by Ofgem as the independent regulator. On 21 February Ofgem set out the next steps in its prepayment meter review. As part of this, Ofgem has told suppliers to act now to check that PPMs have been installed appropriately, and if rules have been broken, offer customers a reversal of installations and compensation payments where appropriate. Ofgem can also issue fines if necessary to address non-compliance.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, what the results were of the Government's investigation into decision-making on the process for obtaining...
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Minister for Energy and Climate's contribution to the Urgent Question of 6 February 2023 on Prepayment Meters: Ofgem Decision, what the results were of the Government's investigation into decision-making on the process for obtaining...
Ofgem wrote to suppliers asking them to pause the installation of pre-payment meters under warrant until they had completed a review of how this work is carried out and managed. Ofgem will also be looking at the rules around mandatory moves to prepayment meters, when a court warrant can be applied for, and the steps that first need to be taken.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2023 to Question 140142 on Energy: Meters, when Ofgem will make that assessment of energy payment methods.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2023 to Question 140142 on Energy: Meters, when Ofgem will make that assessment of energy payment methods.
On 21 February, Ofgem published a Call for Evidence on a package of work focused on prepayment meters, including looking at all energy payment methods to see whether there is a case for levelling them. Responses are requested by 7 March.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a summary of energy suppliers' responses on redress for vulnerable customers affected by forced prepayment meter installations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a summary of energy suppliers' responses on redress for vulnerable customers affected by forced prepayment meter installations.
All suppliers responded to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and set out their plans for identifying customers that may have had prepayment meters wrongfully installed. These plans have been shared with Ofgem.
On 21st February, Ofgem set out more detail on their prepayment meter market compliance review and reiterated that suppliers should take action now if they are aware of instances wher a prepayment meter has been installed inappropriately.