---

Energy Bill [Lords]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the spirit in which he made his intervention. However, I think that that would be difficult. For some time, I have suggested—the Bill may not be exactly the right place to deal with this, but the electricity market reform White Paper is looking at it—that the regulator should look after people who are off-grid so that they have the same protection and rights as others. As has been said on numerous occasions, people in hard-to-reach areas on the periphery have the greatest need and are in the greatest fuel poverty. They are often off the mains, so they need equal if not better protection than people with access to mains gas and electricity.