Scope calls for social tariff action from new Energy Secretary.

Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to welcome you to your new position as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and to urge you to take action to support disabled people. In the short term with immediate support this coming winter, and in the long term by launching the long overdue Energy Social Tariff consultation promised by your predecessor and Ministers in your new department.

As a former Minister for Disabled People, you will know Scope campaigns for and provides support and information to Britain’s 16 million disabled people. Our vision is of a society where disabled people have equal opportunities to non-disabled people – at home, school, work, and in our communities.

Secretary of State, life costs more if you are disabled. This can be due to higher electricity bills for charging equipment, or higher heating bills due to conditions which make it harder to regulate body temperatures. As we continue through one of the worst cost of living crises for decades, disabled people continue to be hit hardest. Scope’s own research shows the disability price tag, the extra costs disabled people face compared to non-disabled people, sits at £975 a month. This figure is updated yearly. Check the latest figure. We regularly hear from disabled people throughout this crisis of the extra costs they face. Last winter alone, over a third of disabled adults felt their impairment or condition had an impact on how much energy they used, and worryingly, 9 in 10 were worried about energy bills. Half of disabled people Scope spoke to said they wouldn’t use heating during the winter even when cold, and a third said they were skipping meals. Worryingly, 57% of disabled people we spoke to said their income didn’t, or only just covered their bills. Too many disabled people are unable to afford essentials.

As you begin in your new role, on behalf of disabled people, we implore you to take action.

In the short-term, disabled people need immediate support with high energy bills. Last year, nearly 300,000 disabled people on PIP and DLA lost access to the Warm Home Discount due to eligibility changes. For many disabled people, the disability cost-of-living payment last year simply covered the amount they would have previously received through the Warm Home Discount. As we head into winter with no further disability cost-of-living payments scheduled, disabled people are falling further into debt and fuel poverty. The Government should urgently revise the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount to ensure disabled people on PIP and DLA are supported. Scope also supports a ban on all forced installations of pre-payment meters (PPM), including remote switching, where there is a disabled person in the household. We would urge you to work with Ofgem to permanently end the PPM premium which unfairly penalises those on PPM’s who are at greater risk of fuel poverty.

In the long-term, tailored support should be offered to households at greater risk of fuel poverty via an energy social tariff. We are calling on an energy social tariff discount to bills of 50% for disabled people, carers and those on low incomes, be mandatory for all suppliers and ensure eligible households be automatically enrolled. It is vital that this tariff sit alongside, instead of replacing, existing support such as the Warm Home Discount. An energy social tariff of this kind is supported by 86% of disabled people.

A number of Government Ministers have previously stated their intention to consult on the energy social tariff in the House of Commons, including during DWP questions and Energy and Net Zero questions. Notably during the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor confirmed the Government’s intention to consult on longer-term energy support such as an energy social tariff in Summer 2023, to date no consultation has launched.

As Secretary of State for the Energy and Net Zero Department, we ask you now proceed with urgency at supporting disabled people during this coming winter and with the Energy Social Tariff consultation so many are calling for, including 41 cross-party MPs, 100 plus charities and 58,000 people, including disabled people and older people.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and to work with your officials and Department to address the extra costs disabled people face.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Very best wishes,

James Taylor

Executive Director, Strategy Impact & Social Change

Scope