, Petitions Committee
Updates to previous petitions
Moving to item 5.4 in a slight change to the agenda we have in front of us. Item 5.4, P-06-1294, 'Don't leave metastatic breast cancer patients in Wales behind'. This petition was submitted by Tassia Haines, with 14,106 signatures. Tassia is joining us in the…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
—if necessary. We may have further questions once we've considered the evidence. So, we're very grateful for your time today, I must say, but we may wish to seek further assurances from yourself and Ofgem, as well. Okay then, at this point, I'll move to item…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Mr Kenward, for your time today. I'll call this session to a close. There will be a transcript of today's proceedings that will be sent to you and shared with you, if you could check that for accuracy and make any amendments through the clerking…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Luke. Just finally from me, then, can you see Ofgem in the future—you've said you don't have the power to ban installations, you're signing up to the code, and so on. We talked about legislation like the water industry. Could you see Ofgem…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Mr Kenward. Any further questions? Luke Fletcher, final question.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Mr Kenward. I think it's fair to say that the energy suppliers are extremely profitable at the moment. We might explore some of that in our next session with suppliers.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Okay. Thank you. A final question from me. We haven't touched on the energy price cap this afternoon, but have Ofgem ever discussed the possibility of raising the energy price cap to ensure that energy firms don't lose money through this voluntary moratorium…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
That would put the emphasis on the consumer to complain.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Rhys. Two final questions from me: firstly, going back to Luke Fletcher's final question, Mr Kenward, on your confidence that we won't be in a similar situation next year, I think, you answered by saying that you'd be monitoring and taking action…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you. I'll bring Rhys in.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Diolch, Rhys. Buffy, any further from you? No. You were muted, but I think I understood the direction of your head movement. Okay, Luke Fletcher.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Okay, thank you, Mr Kenward. Buffy, any further questions from you?
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Rhys. Buffy, I will come back to you. Why has it taken a scandal like this for just something as simple as looking at the social tariff and the standing charges for Ofgem, or—you can't answer for the Government, I'll give you that—but why has it…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Can I bring in Rhys ab Owen?
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
I'd be grateful for that, Mr Kenward. If I can move to Buffy Williams, online.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
It's still a problem, though.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
I'd be very grateful if—and I understand that you won't have that detail in front of you now—following today's proceedings—. This article goes on to say, following a freedom of information request, 'that courts have granted more than 13,000 warrants since 6…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Joel. If I can take us back to earlier, when you said energy firms are not forcing entry into homes at the moment, under the moratorium. I'm just reading a piece from The i newspaper from 11 May, of last week, which says, 'Energy firms are still…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Okay. Joel James.
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Okay. I'm conscious of when the voluntary code of practice comes back in, what process will be in place to make sure that those site visits do go ahead? How will you measure them? Because I'm conscious that they may not go ahead and forced installations could…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you for that. Picking up Luke Fletcher's points and your response about medical devices, well, I can tell you that that has happened over the last year. In fact, I had a constituent of mine and I'll quote their words to me: 'A family member relies on a…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, both of you. Can I ask: are those site visits happening now, and are they being measured?
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Diolch yn fawr, Rhys. I'm going to bring Luke Fletcher in now, but, just to point to the 85-year-old age group that you've drawn a line under, I think it's noted that the NHS say that, if you are over the age of 65, you should not allow your house to go below…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Thank you, Mr Kenward. I think it's fair to say at the start that suppliers over the last year did not meet any standard—high standard or gold standard—that, as a consumer, we would expect Ofgem to protect. I have questions, but I'm conscious Members have…
, Petitions Committee
Evidence session 1 - P-06-1326 The Senedd should scrutinise the prepayment meter scandal in Wales
Mr Kenward, I'm very grateful for your time. This is a serious matter that we're scrutinising in front of us today and considering on behalf of the Petitions Committee. I think it's fair to say that what we have seen over the last year is nothing short of a…
