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

6 results

13 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Department still lacks solutions for matching income and energy supplier data effectively.

The Department acknowledged that it does not have “a full answer at this stage” to the issues with matching income data with energy supplier data, despite it being almost three years since the spike in energy prices.31 Fair by Design … Read more

Government Response

The government is taking the opportunity to review options for better targeting of future bill support beyond March 2026, and is working with other government departments, energy suppliers, and stakeholders to consider options for improving data sharing and data matching by September 2025.

HM Treasury

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19 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Domestic energy debt has significantly increased, becoming the fastest growing type of consumer debt

Alongside a rise in energy prices, Ofgem statistics from June 2024 show the total owed by domestic consumers for both electricity and gas was over £3.7 billion compared with £1.8 billion at the end of 2021.51 A report by Clear … Read more

Government Response

The government disagrees and proposes that Ofgem, as the market regulator, is better suited than DESNZ to collect pertinent information and evaluate the guidance provided to energy customers experiencing debt. They are actively working with Ofgem to refine these processes.

HM Treasury

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20 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Ofgem's proposed energy debt relief scheme faces significant delay until winter 2025

The Department recognised this as a serious issue. It made clear that, because in the first instance consumers facing energy debts should contact their energy supplier, the regulatory regime should that require suppliers to offer “good, accurate and helpful advice” … Read more

Government Response

The department proposes that Ofgem, as the market regulator, is better suited than DESNZ to collect pertinent information and evaluate the guidance provided to energy customers experiencing debt and is working with Ofgem to refine these processes.

HM Treasury

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21 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

UK electricity prices are highest among IEA countries, partly due to environmental levies

The United Kingdom has the highest price (including taxes and levies) for domestic electricity out of 25 International Energy Agency (IEA) countries reporting in 2023. Similarly, the UK has the highest price (including taxes and levies) for industrial electricity out … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees rebalancing is needed and will set out proposals in due course, with a target implementation date of July 2025, but notes the complexity and difficult fiscal environment.

HM Treasury

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22 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Department repeatedly delayed electricity-gas price rebalancing for three years without a timetable

The Department recognised that rebalancing was an important issue, given the ratio of electricity to gas prices was “high compared to many comparative countries” as a “lot of the policy [ … ] and network costs in this country are … Read more

Government Response

The government agrees rebalancing is needed and will set out proposals in due course, with a target implementation date of July 2025, but notes the complexity and difficult fiscal environment.

HM Treasury

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23 Conclusion Deferred

19th Report - Energy Bills Support

Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) has been ongoing for three years

Three years ago, in April 2022, the previous government launched its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) as part of its British Energy Security Strategy. This was the government’s flagship policy to enable a net 59 Q 68; Department for … Read more

Government Response

The government will publish a decision on whether to adopt Zonal Pricing or Reformed National Pricing by mid-2025, and will provide the Committee with a timetable for implementing the proposals for change.

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