The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has written to domestic energy suppliers across the UK asking them to make their systems more responsive to positive changes in consumer behaviour in order to produce more accurate Direct Debits. In a letter to CEOs across the country, Grant Shapps urges them to ensure energy bills reflect what customers are using, rather than over-estimating charges.
He said he was concerned that bills were rising despite people reducing their energy usage and has asked the industry regulator, Ofgem, to report to him directly on how this can be achieved.
The Energy Minister said he was “disturbed” to read media reports that some energy customers are saying their Direct Debits are going up when they are making huge efforts to reduce their usage to save money at a time when household incomes are squeezed to the limit due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
