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Welby slams energy firms
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has waded into the row over energy prices, warning that the latest wave of hikes looks "inexplicable" and that providers should behave morally.
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Clegg calls for 'more transparency' from energy firms
The Deputy Prime Minister has said that energy companies must be 'more transparent' but stopped short of supporting Justin Welby after the Archbishop of Canterbury warned that the latest wave of hikes looks "inexplicable" and that providers should behave morally.
Speaking on Murnaghan on Sky News Nick Clegg said:
"Clearly the companies need to justify the bill increases that they are now announcing and that's one of the reasons Ed Davey has written to the companies and said 'you've got to be more transparent' about the sums which lie behind these eye-wateringly high price hikes."
"It cannot be right that people who are really struggling to pay their bills. I think we do need, not only more competition so people can switch to lower tariffs... but also great transparency in the way on which these companies account for themselves.
"Not just to their shareholders but also to the public."
Ofgem 'must bear down harder' on energy monopolies
Energy Minister Michael Fallon has said that all of the Government's green taxes would be assessed to identify cases where the costs they imposed on customers were too high. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Fallon added:
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Tories reveal plan to cut green taxes in energy reforms
A three-point plan has been drawn up by Conservative MPs inside the government over the rising cost of energy prices. According to the Sunday Telegraph, the plan consists of:
- The completion of the Energy Companies Obligation, which involves fitting insulation and energy saving measures into the homes of vulnerable customers, such as pensioners on low incomes, would be delayed by two years to 2017.
- Energy companies would be given more time to meet their targets for cutting carbon emissions under the ECO scheme, under the plan.
- Ministers would review the Carbon Price Floor, a tax on fossil fuels used to generate electricity, which the power companies say will add £26 to household bills.
- Cutting the cost of distribution of gas and electricity, which is organised through smaller regional monopolies. Government sources say Ofgem, the energy regulator, has failed to be tough enough on bringing down the costs of distribution on the gas and electricity networks.
Government 'should act on spiralling energy bills'
Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint has welcomed the Archbishop of Canterbury's comments over energy price rises, who said that the Big Six companies had a "moral duty" towards their hard-pressed customers.
According to the Mail on Sunday, Ms Flint said: "The chorus of voices telling this Government to act on spiralling energy bills is deafening."
Welby: Big Six have 'responsibility to serve society'
The head of the Church of England has said he understood the anger the energy price rises were generating. Justin Welby said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday that the Big Six companies "had a responsibility" to their customers:
Archbishop Justin Welby: Energy firms have moral duty
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has waded into the row over energy prices, warning that the latest wave of hikes looks "inexplicable" and that providers should behave morally.
Welby insisted the Big Six companies should be "conscious of their social obligations", and "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".
The intervention, in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, came after British Gas followed in the footsteps of SSE by announcing a 9.2% increase in prices.
The head of the Church of England said: "I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high."