§ Mr. Pendryasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement about the arrangements for giving a 25 per cent. discount on charges for electricity to certain consumers.
§ Mr. BennThe Government will give a discount of 25 per cent. of the charges for electricity consumed in a three-month period ending in February, March or April to all recipients of supplementary benefit or family income supplement who pay directly to an electricity board.282W People who use a prepayment meter to pay for electricity will get a statement from their electricity board of the amount of money collected from their meter. They should take this statement to their Post Office when claiming their supplementary benefit or family income supplement and will then be given a cash sum equal to 25 per cent. of the amount they have already paid for their electricity. People who receive their electricity from an electricity board on credit and settle their bills afterwards should take a bill issued in respect of a period ending in February, March or April to their post office when they go to claim their benefit. They will then be given a voucher which they may use to pay 25 per cent. of the electricity charges in their bill.
From next week leaflets giving details of what people need to do to claim their discount will be given to everybody on supplementary benefit or family income supplement when they collect their allowances from the post office. The leaflet should be retained for reference when the electricity bill arrives or when the prepayment meter is emptied during the coming three months. Corresponding arrangements are being introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I am grateful to the Electricity Council, area electricity boards, the Post Office and its unions for making their resources available and helping in the preparation of the arrangements for the discount scheme. I am placing copies of the explanatory leaflets in the Libraries of both Houses.