Written question asked by Chris Williamson (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 December 2011. It was answered by Charles Hendry (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Energy: Tariffs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that energy customers can switch from pre-pay tariffs to quarterly tariff payments where they are cheaper.

Answer: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the rules that govern switching payment methods. Prepayment meter customers who are not in debt may switch payment method or supplier at anytime. For those in debt, prepayment meters can be a valuable alternative to disconnection.New rules introduced by Ofgem in 2009 to prevent unfair price differentials, such as those between different payment methods, have shown that prepayment meter customers now pay, on average, £20 less than standard credit customers for their gas and electricity.

Secondary information