(Ilford South) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to require Ofgem to amend
the conditions of an electricity supply licence in relation to
vulnerable customers; to require Ofgem to establish a fund for
the purpose of rectifying dangerous electrical faults for
vulnerable customers; to require energy supply companies to
inform vulnerable customers about the services available to
customers on the Priority Services Register; and for connected
purposes.
I rise to propose a Bill that would address a critical issue in
our energy sector. The Bill aims to require Ofgem to revise the
terms of electricity supply licences with a much-needed focus on
vulnerable customers. Specifically, it calls for the creation of
a fund by Ofgem to rectify dangerous electrical faults affecting
vulnerable customers. Additionally, it would mandate energy
supply companies to inform vulnerable customers about their
entitlements under the Priority Services Register and related
matters.
As the UK moves towards achieving net zero emissions, our homes
are undergoing a transformation in how they use energy. We are
transitioning away from gas and increasingly adopting cleaner
energy systems. Currently, 74% of homes rely on gas boilers for
heating, but by 2035, up to 47% of homes could depend on
electrically powered technologies such as heat pumps. The shift
to electricity is expected to continue in the years ahead. In
this transition, it is imperative that we prioritise the safety
and well-being of our vulnerable citizens.
Last year in England alone, there were a staggering 2,695 fires
caused by home electrical installations, an average of seven
fires a day. Those incidents encompassed issues related to
electrical distribution within homes and heating systems. Despite
support from organisations such as Electrical Safety First, the
Gas Safe Charity, the Chartered Institute of Housing, the
National Home Improvement Council and National Energy Action, the
Priority Services Register maintained by energy suppliers has
fallen short in addressing critical electrical safety concerns
for the most vulnerable in our society.
The PSR, administered by Ofgem, serves as a support system for
vulnerable energy customers, offered voluntarily by suppliers. It
provides assistance tailored to specific requirements. While the
types of help can vary among suppliers, they typically include
free gas safety checks for customers on means-tested benefits
living with children under five years old, those receiving
pensions and those who are disabled or chronically ill. That
invaluable service has undoubtedly saved lives, and the Bill
seeks to extend similar safeguards to the many households across
the country using and depending on electricity.
While existing legislation in England, Scotland and Wales
mandates electrical safety checks for vulnerable individuals
living in the private rented sector, the recent Social Housing
(Regulations) Act 2023 has extended these checks to those in the
social rented sector, aligning England with Wales and Scotland.
However, a significant portion of vulnerable people may still
fall through the cracks.
Data from various housing surveys across the UK indicates that in
2021 as many as 10.8 million households could have qualified for
the Priority Services Register, marking them as part of a
vulnerable household. Furthermore, the elderly population, often
eligible for the PSR, predominantly resides in the owner-occupied
sector, which lacks mandatory requirements for essential
electrical safety protections. The risk of electrical fire
fatalities is notably higher for people aged 60 and above,
particularly those living alone or in older housing with outdated
electrics. This is significantly heightened if they have health
conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s.
Vulnerable people are more susceptible to electrical fires when
they lack the financial means to pay for electrical safety checks
or are physically unable to respond swiftly in case of a fire.
Many of them may reside in substandard housing with outdated
electrical systems, potentially in higher-density housing,
further increasing the risk of fire spreading to neighbouring
properties.
The Bill also addresses the pressing issue of fuel poverty among
PSR-registered people. There is a significant overlap between
vulnerable individuals on the PSR and those experiencing fuel
poverty. The rising cost of living has hit many households hard,
but it is incredibly challenging for older and vulnerable groups,
particularly regarding energy costs. As of 2022, England alone
had 3.26 million households in fuel poverty. In my constituency
of Ilford South, 15% of households—more than 6,000 families—are
grappling with fuel poverty. Shockingly, cold homes, linked to
fuel poverty, contributed to 4,020 excess winter deaths in
England and Wales last year: 45 lives lost each day during the
winter months. For vulnerable people who already face the
difficult choice between heating their homes and having enough to
eat, affording electrical system checks is often impossible. That
hidden danger compounds the already distressing issue of fuel
poverty.
Although the PSR is a voluntary system for energy providers, it
includes a requirement for free gas and carbon dioxide checks
under Ofgem’s licensing conditions. None the less, concerns have
been raised by organisations such as National Energy Action
regarding the alarmingly low awareness of available assistance.
It is crucial for energy suppliers not only to promote their
services, but actively to enrol all eligible people on to the
PSR, expanding the reach of these services across the board. In a
November 2022 study of eligible PSR customers, Electrical Safety
First found that around a quarter of respondents had never
checked their electrical installations or were unsure if they had
been checked. Some 85% of them supported the idea of the energy
sector providing regular electrical checks as a requirement of
the PSR, a viewpoint shared by both private and social housing
landlords.
Of course, some of the checks may reveal severe and dangerous
faults in the electrical systems. The Bill also addresses that
concern. It would require energy suppliers, Ofgem and local
authorities to have the necessary grant-making capabilities to
address those issues. That would ensure that vulnerable people
with electrical faults were afforded the same protections as
those with gas safety issues.
We have a moral obligation to shield the most vulnerable members
of our society from the devastating consequences of fuel poverty
and electrical dangers. Today, as the Bill receives its First
Reading, we take the first crucial step toward achieving this
goal. It would guarantee that, as a statutory minimum, those most
susceptible to fuel poverty during this era of rising living
costs would receive enhanced electrical safety protections.
We cannot permit millions of people to make the heart-wrenching
choice between food, safety, and living in peril. I urge the
House to support my Bill today.
Question put and agreed to,
Ordered,
That , , , , , , , , , , and present the Bill.
accordingly presented the
Bill.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 24
November, and to be printed (Bill 365).
