Because this has been such an incredibly well-subscribed debate, in the time available to me I will not be able to thank all my hon. Friends individually for their excellent contributions, so I hope they will forgive me for thanking them all collectively. I also want to thank some Conservative...

Because this has been such an incredibly well-subscribed debate, in the time available to me I will not be able to thank all my hon. Friends individually for their excellent contributions, so I hope they will forgive me for thanking them all collectively. I also want to thank some Conservative...

I thank all noble Lords who have tabled amendments in this group. I will start with some general comments and observations on Clause 7 and thereby deal also with Amendment 99A, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, which would remove Clause 7 altogether.

In short, Clause 7 gives higher UK...

I thank all noble Lords who have tabled amendments in this group. I will start with some general comments and observations on Clause 7 and thereby deal also with Amendment 99A, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, which would remove Clause 7 altogether.

In short, Clause 7 gives higher UK...

That was an excellent tribute from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May). Perfectly put.

This is, indeed, a sad but very proud moment as the House pays tribute to Betty Boothroyd. A proud moment for all of us women in the House, as she was the first and only...

That was an excellent tribute from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May). Perfectly put.

This is, indeed, a sad but very proud moment as the House pays tribute to Betty Boothroyd. A proud moment for all of us women in the House, as she was the first and only...

Before I start, I would like to pass on my thoughts and prayers to DCI Caldwell’s family at this time, as well as to the wider PSNI family, who I know are fearful of what might happen. I do not put this as being any accident; I think the timing...

Before I start, I would like to pass on my thoughts and prayers to DCI Caldwell’s family at this time, as well as to the wider PSNI family, who I know are fearful of what might happen. I do not put this as being any accident; I think the timing...

Both of my hon. Friends have picked up on the size of a local authority. My area has one of the largest unitary authorities: Bradford District Council currently has a population of around 550,000 people. When we compare that with neighbouring Calderdale Council with a population of just under 200,000,...

Both of my hon. Friends have picked up on the size of a local authority. My area has one of the largest unitary authorities: Bradford District Council currently has a population of around 550,000 people. When we compare that with neighbouring Calderdale Council with a population of just under 200,000,...

My Lords, first, I declare an interest as a leaseholder. Secondly, these are issues that I have raised repeatedly in the House over many years, and I want to put on the record my thanks to Liam Spender, Katie Kendrick and all the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership for their great work...

My Lords, first, I declare an interest as a leaseholder. Secondly, these are issues that I have raised repeatedly in the House over many years, and I want to put on the record my thanks to Liam Spender, Katie Kendrick and all the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership for their great work...

What are customer credit balances?

Domestic energy customers accrue credit on their account when they are paying for more energy than they are using. Customers who pay an equal amount every month will typically build up credit in the summer, when energy consumption is low. In the winter, energy consumption is higher and the cost exceeds the monthly payment. The customer’s credit balance is used to make up the difference.

Ofgem refers to credit balance in excess of what is required to cover winter debt as ‘surplus credit balance.’ It has estimated that, in October 2018, energy suppliers held £590 million to £1.4 billion in surplus credit.

How are credit balances currently regulated?

Ofgem’s rules do not limit the amount of credit suppliers can hold or what they can and cannot do with the money. There are, however, rules designed to limit the accrual of excessive surplus credit. Direct debits must be as accurate as possible based on the information available and suppliers have a general obligation to not be “overly reliant” on customer credit. Customers can request a refund on their credit balance at any time. Credit must be refunded promptly unless there are good reasons not to do so.

What are the issues associated with customer credit balances?

Energy suppliers can view credit balances as a form of revenue because it is, in principle, money that customers will eventually owe them. As such, credit balances may be treated as a source of working capital that can be used by suppliers to meet short-term obligation.

Ofgem, the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, and industry and consumer groups have noted potential issues associated with energy suppliers’ use of customer credit balances as working capital, including that it permits unsustainable business models and that it gives energy suppliers an incentive to set direct debits higher than necessary and to make it difficult for customers to withdraw their credit.

Ofgem has been looking at reforms to better protect customer credit balances since 2018. Proposals to require suppliers to automatically refund credit at the end of the contract year and to limit the amount of credit they hold were dropped. Ofgem has also decided against proceeding with an alternative proposal to require suppliers to ringfence the customer credit they hold. Instead, the regulator has strengthened its rules requiring direct debits to be as accurate as possible and is consulting on a power to direct individual suppliers to ringfence credit balances when they do not meet certain financial resilience standards.

This pack contains information on Ofgem's rules on credit balances, the issues associated with credit balances and recent proposals for reform, as well as recent Parliamentary material and news items. 

What are customer credit balances?

Domestic energy customers accrue credit on their account when they are paying for more energy than they are using. Customers who pay an equal amount every month will typically build up credit in the summer, when energy consumption is low. In the winter, energy consumption...

Over the years, we have seen some owners treat football clubs more like cash cows than the community assets we all want them

to be. Pending the publication of the White Paper later this week, will the Minister say whether he thinks there is merit in ensuring that any new...

Over the years, we have seen some owners treat football clubs more like cash cows than the community assets we all want them

to be. Pending the publication of the White Paper later this week, will the Minister say whether he thinks there is merit in ensuring that any new...

I have repeatedly brought matters to this House concerning infant feeding. For an issue that concerns every child ever born, it generally gets remarkably little attention from Governments. Madam Deputy Speaker, I can assure you that breastfeeding is an issue of the utmost importance. According to the World Health Organisation,...

I have repeatedly brought matters to this House concerning infant feeding. For an issue that concerns every child ever born, it generally gets remarkably little attention from Governments. Madam Deputy Speaker, I can assure you that breastfeeding is an issue of the utmost importance. According to the World Health Organisation,...

The provision of those pumps can indeed make a huge difference to working families by giving women the flexibility to return to work. Many of them want to breastfeed, but find that returning to work presents a barrier to it. I will say a little more about the pressures from...

The provision of those pumps can indeed make a huge difference to working families by giving women the flexibility to return to work. Many of them want to breastfeed, but find that returning to work presents a barrier to it. I will say a little more about the pressures from...

My Lords, we hold this debate against the sombre and shocking images emerging from Syria and Turkey of the devastating earthquake which has visited such tragedy and suffering on these two countries. I know the thoughts of us all are with the families and citizens who are affected by and...

My Lords, we hold this debate against the sombre and shocking images emerging from Syria and Turkey of the devastating earthquake which has visited such tragedy and suffering on these two countries. I know the thoughts of us all are with the families and citizens who are affected by and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) help ensure that mothers have adequate supplies of formula milk where they are unable to breastfeed and (b) prevent baby milk products from being watered down in the context...

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) help ensure that mothers have adequate supplies of formula milk where they are unable to breastfeed and (b) prevent baby milk products from being watered down in the context...

To ask His Majesty's Government how many farms were in tenanted occupation in each of the last five years.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many farms were in tenanted occupation in each of the last five years.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of planning policy.

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Vickers. I will not talk for too long, but I want to raise some issues relating to planning policy, especially after the productive and fruitful discussions that...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of planning policy.

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Vickers. I will not talk for too long, but I want to raise some issues relating to planning policy, especially after the productive and fruitful discussions that...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a dairy farmer and as an investor in a number of agriculture-related businesses around the world. I also declare negligible scientific credentials, unlike many noble Lords who have spoken.

However, I believe that it is essential that farmed animals are included in the Bill...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a dairy farmer and as an investor in a number of agriculture-related businesses around the world. I also declare negligible scientific credentials, unlike many noble Lords who have spoken.

However, I believe that it is essential that farmed animals are included in the Bill...

Before the noble Lord sits down, I wonder if he might be kind enough to comment on this, seeing as he wanted to breed his best cow with all the other cows to reduce genetic diversity. Can he tell me what happens if a virus comes along to which that...

Before the noble Lord sits down, I wonder if he might be kind enough to comment on this, seeing as he wanted to breed his best cow with all the other cows to reduce genetic diversity. Can he tell me what happens if a virus comes along to which that...

My Lords, I will briefly respond to the noble Lord, Lord Winston, on that point. It is a fair question, which we do need to respond to: what happens if we narrow the gene pool and expose animals to genetic risk? There has been evidence in the past that by...

My Lords, I will briefly respond to the noble Lord, Lord Winston, on that point. It is a fair question, which we do need to respond to: what happens if we narrow the gene pool and expose animals to genetic risk? There has been evidence in the past that by...

My Lords, I start by reminding noble Lords of my entry in the register. This has been a fascinating opener for this afternoon’s proceedings. I know that this is an area of great importance to this House. I want to take account of the concerns raised in the debate and...

My Lords, I start by reminding noble Lords of my entry in the register. This has been a fascinating opener for this afternoon’s proceedings. I know that this is an area of great importance to this House. I want to take account of the concerns raised in the debate and...

It is a pleasure to speak to new clauses 1 and 2 in my name and those of many others, and it is a pleasure to follow so many excellent contributions to the debate. I hope it has become clear that there is a wide and deep cross-party consensus about...

It is a pleasure to speak to new clauses 1 and 2 in my name and those of many others, and it is a pleasure to follow so many excellent contributions to the debate. I hope it has become clear that there is a wide and deep cross-party consensus about...

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about defamation; to make provision about costs awarded in civil cases; to make provision about the application of the rights to privacy and to freedom of expression in civil cases on matters of public interest;...

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about defamation; to make provision about costs awarded in civil cases; to make provision about the application of the rights to privacy and to freedom of expression in civil cases on matters of public interest;...