UK Inquiry Tracker

Energy Bills Support

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 29 Nov 2024 Closed: 16 Jun 2025 Parliament page

Beginning in autumn 2021, energy bills began to increase significantly due to factors including increased global demand for gas post-pandemic, and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on energy markets. Average annual household bills for gas and electricity increased from £1,277 in winter 2021/22 to over £4,000 by the … Read more Beginning in autumn 2021, energy bills began to increase significantly due to factors including increased global demand for gas post-pandemic, and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on energy markets. Average annual household bills for gas and electricity increased from £1,277 in winter 2021/22 to over £4,000 by the start of 2023.The Government acted to provide financial support to reduce the impact of these increases on consumers. In its June 2023 report on the Government’s energy bills support scheme, the Committee found that support took too long to get to those most in need, with approximately 1.7m people left waiting months for help due to Government’s lack of bandwidth. It also raised serious concerns around a lack of urgency from Government in addressing energy market failures that were leading to high energy bills for consumers. As at February 2023, Government’s estimated total cost of its various schemes was £69bn, though such estimates are inherently uncertain. The National Audit Office (NAO) followed up on its own report in 2024. The report looked at subjects including the extent to which the support schemes protected consumers and boosted the economy, their total cost, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) management of the schemes’ closure and risks around fraud and error. It also explored DESNZ’s approach to protecting consumers against future volatility in energy prices. Based on the NAO report, the Committee will hear from senior DESNZ officials on subjects including lessons learned from the support provided, and what approach is being taken to protect consumers against future volatility in energy prices. Please note the Committee is unable to help with individual cases. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Thursday 23 January 2025. Show less

3 Recommendations

25 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

3 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 8 events

8 Jan
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Interim Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the Committee’s Nineteenth Repor…

18 Sep
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Nineteenth report from Session 2024-26

4 Sep
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the 19th Report of Session 2024-25, Ener…

17 Jul
2025

Correspondence

Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the Treasury Minute response on Energy bil…

10 Jul
2025

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Nineteenth report from Session 2024-25

28 Mar
2025

Report published

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

6 Feb
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

6 Feb
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

6 Feb 2025

View on parliament.uk

Ben Golding · Clean Power 2030 Jeremy Pocklington CB · Ministry of Defence Jonathan Mills · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
19th Report - Energy Bills Support	HC 511	28 Mar 2025	28	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 results

16 Conclusion Accepted in Part

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Hard-to-reach households showed low take-up of alternative energy support funding schemes.

Take–up of the energy bills support schemes was lower among harder–to–reach households that did not receive a payment directly from their energy supplier; 41 and may have been affected disproportionately by energy price fluctuations.42 These households did not receive an … Read more

Government Response

The government is considering options for better targeting of bill support schemes and working with other government departments to unlock data to enable targeting support more effectively to those who need help with their energy bills; also expanding Warm Home Discount Scheme.

HM Treasury

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17 Recommendation Accepted in Part

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Communication failures hampered support scheme reach to vulnerable households in need

Although the Department worked with local authorities on some of the schemes aimed at households who were harder to reach,44 the low take–up suggests that this approach did not identify all those in need.45 The Department said that it attempted … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees to consider better targeting of bill support schemes, including during energy crises, and is working with other departments and stakeholders to improve data use and effectiveness of support, aiming to reach a further 2.7 million households through the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

HM Treasury

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18 Conclusion Accepted in Part

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Warm Home Discount scheme excludes high-energy-using vulnerable individuals from vital support

The Department said that the “biggest item of support” available to mitigate high energy prices this winter for vulnerable consumers, mainly those on benefits such as pension credit, is the Warm Home Discount scheme,47 which provides a £150 discount to … Read more

Government Response

HM Treasury

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Government Response AI assessment · 20 of 3 classified

Accepted 7

Accepted in Part 3

Acknowledged 3

Deferred 6

Rejected 1

Total 3 recs + 25 conclusions

Correspondence 3 letters

8 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Interim Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the Committee’s Nineteenth Report on Energy Bills Support, 11 December 2025

Parliament page

4 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the 19th Report of Session 2024-25, Energy Bills Support, recommendations 2 and 3, 01 August 2025

Parliament page

17 Jul 2025 From committee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero relating to the Treasury Minute response on Energy bills support, 15 July 2025

Parliament page