💡 Energy (Social Tariff)

• Motion for a Bill: Ms Polly Billington, a Labour MP from East Thanet, proposed a Bill to mandate energy companies to offer social tariffs for low-income customers, aiming to address the increasing energy costs and fuel poverty.

• Rising Energy Costs: The recent 6% increase in energy bills, pushing average household costs close to £2,000 annually, was highlighted as a reason for the urgency of the Bill.

• Background and Experience: Ms Billington’s experience working on energy policy during the global financial crisis and with the Department of Energy and Climate Change was cited as a basis for her advocacy for a social tariff.

• Energy Market Challenges: The shift to cleaner power and the need for energy market reform were discussed as critical for both environmental and consumer benefits. However, the current market fails to pass savings from cheaper energy generation to consumers.

• Impact on East Thanet: The MP emphasized the high levels of deprivation in her constituency, where many residents face challenges like low-paid work, cold homes, and reliance on benefits, making them particularly vulnerable to rising energy costs.

• Social Tariff Proposal: The proposed Bill aims to protect vulnerable consumers from fuel poverty and support them during the transition to a decarbonized energy system. It would complement existing schemes like the warm home discount, which has not kept pace with rising energy prices.

• Targeting the Tariff: The Bill suggests targeting the social tariff at low-income families, people with disabilities, carers, and those in homes with low energy efficiency or off the gas grid, using existing data to identify eligible households.

• Broader Economic Benefits: Beyond immediate relief, the social tariff is seen as a way to boost local economies by freeing up money that would otherwise be spent on high energy bills.

• International Examples: The success of social tariffs in countries like Spain, where discounts are provided to vulnerable customers, was mentioned as a model.

• Next Steps: The Bill was read for the first time and is scheduled for its second reading on 25 April.

The session exhibits minimal to no disagreement among the participants. Ms Polly Billington’s speech advocating for a social tariff in the energy sector is delivered without interruption or opposition from other members of the House. The motion is put forward and agreed to without any recorded dissent or debate, suggesting a unanimous or near-unanimous support for the proposal. The lack of opposing views or amendments further supports the assessment of low disagreement. An example of this is seen when the Question is put and agreed to directly following Ms Billington’s speech, with no recorded objections or further discussion. This indicates a high level of consensus on the issue.