Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Energy Price Guarantee: Fuel Poverty

Tuesday 28 February 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government announced the continuation of the energy price guarantee from April 2023.
  • An analysis for 2022 shows that 350,000 households in England were kept out of fuel poverty due to the support offered to households with energy bills.
  • The Government have been closely examining the issue of rising energy prices and their impact on fuel poverty.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Simon Lightwood Labour (Co-op) Wakefield and Rothwell
Housing Energy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from the rise in the energy price guarantee in April 2023. Constituents are facing higher bills despite falling wholesale gas costs and increasing profits for energy companies.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of the rise in the energy price guarantee in April 2023 on levels of fuel poverty? The latest figures from 2020 show that more than two in five households in parts of Lupset and Thornes are in fuel poverty. People cannot afford to heat their homes, have a shower or cook hot meals. Since 2020, fuel poverty has risen further.

Answer from Amanda Solloway

The Government announced that the energy price guarantee will continue from April '23. An analysis for 2022, published today, shows that 350,000 households in England were kept out of fuel poverty as a result of the support offered to households with energy bills.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific fairness issue regarding higher bills for those in fuel poverty was not addressed.

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Q2 Simon Lightwood Labour (Co-op) Wakefield and Rothwell
Economy Energy
Context

The planned rise in the price cap is expected to increase the number of people in fuel poverty by nearly 2 million. Leading energy charities are urging the Government to cancel the rise.

Question

I welcome the Minister to her new role. The Department's responsibility is to tackle fuel poverty, so the planned rise in the price cap is the first big test. With the number of people in fuel poverty set to increase by almost 2 million, will she and the Secretary of State now do their jobs and tell the Chancellor to cancel the rise?

Answer from Amanda Solloway

The Government have been looking at this issue incredibly closely. The analysis so far for 2022 shows that 350,000 households in England were kept out of fuel poverty.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question about cancelling the rise was not directly addressed.

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Q3 Ed Miliband Lab Doncaster North
Energy
Context

Millions of families across the country are facing higher bills. People want certainty from the Government, not sympathy or warm words.

Question

We have millions of families across the country and bills going out this week. People do not want sympathy or warm words: they want certainty from the Government. This is a political choice because the Government refuse to impose a windfall tax on energy companies while giving billions in handouts to oil and gas firms.

Answer from Amanda Solloway

I remind the right hon. Gentleman that we have been paying half of household energy bills, and that we will continue to look at this.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific political choice regarding windfall tax was not addressed directly.

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Q4 Ed Miliband Lab Doncaster North
Energy
Context

Families are facing higher bills despite falling wholesale gas costs and increasing profits for energy companies. The Government refuse a proper windfall tax but give billions in handouts to oil and gas firms.

Question

Millions of families across the country, with bills going out this week, want certainty from the Government. People do not want sympathy or warm words; they need action now. Is it true that people are sick and tired of the Government putting the balance sheets of fossil fuel companies ahead of family budgets?

Answer from Amanda Solloway

I remind the right hon. Gentleman that we have been paying half of household energy bills, and that we will continue to look at this.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The issue about people being sick and tired of the Government was not addressed directly.

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