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Energy Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, which is why those people need greater protection. The Office of Fair Trading is undertaking a review, and I hope that, rather than just refer something to the Competition Commission, it will come up with proposals and take action. I hope—and I know that the Minister is listening, because this is a serious issue—that people who are off-grid receive better protection in future. I shall certainly work with the Government—and I know that the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change will do so, too—and help them to try to reach those people. The hon. Gentleman made an important point about the contracts and the sums that individuals have to pay. The hon. Member for Hexham touched on that. I have received anecdotal evidence from my constituents that, during the big freeze in December last year, an individual in an isolated hamlet applied to have their tank filled up. They were told that they could have only half the amount that they usually received, and they were charged 50p a litre. Six weeks later, the company came to replenish the tank, and charged them 70p a litre. Members up and down the country will be familiar with such examples. Those people are suffering real hardship and are in fuel poverty, which is why we should all work together to ensure that people who are off-grid receive the proper protection afforded to those on the gas and electricity mains. The new clause is a good measure, and we are moving towards clearer bills that include such information: informed people can make informed choices, as I have said. We need that information, and the choice of suppliers should extend beyond the big six. That has been mentioned, and the Government and Ofgem are looking at it. The proposal has cross-party support, because the monopoly enjoyed by the six companies that generate 80% of electricity and gas yet supply 99% of consumers does not produce a fair market. That is why we need intervention and tighter regulations, to achieve the outcome that we all want to achieve: price stability and clarity, so that people know from their bills what percentage of what they pay is going to fund energy efficiency measures, and what percentage is used for external measures such as transmission and so on. Transmission has not been discussed at great length, and it is ironic that people who live at the periphery of the United Kingdom, in areas that generate much of the electricity that goes to the grid, pay more for their electricity and gas than people in other areas.