HC Deb 04 December 2002 vol 395 c841W
Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of homes operating on net metering; and if she will take steps to increase this number. [84729]

Mr Wilson

[holding answer 3 December 2002]: No definitive information is available on the number of homes with a net metering arrangement though it is known that a small number of companies have offered net metering tariffs to domestic consumers. It is believed that more than 200 customers may have taken these offers up.

Metering arrangements are a matter for energy suppliers and their customers. The Government, through the Distributed Generation Coordination Group, is working with the industry to encourage the development of suitable metering arrangements for customers with domestic scale generation.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was returned to the national grid last year as a result of net metering arrangements. [84731]

Mr. Wilson

[holding answer 3 December 2002]: No information is available but the amount returned to the grid is likely to have been very small since it is believed that only a small number of households had a net metering tariff.