SSE boss 'agrees with Miliband' as it freezes energy prices

Britain's second biggest energy supplier SSE announced it was freezing gas and electricity prices until 2016, saying they agree with the Labour leader Ed Miliband's plans.

Read: SSE changes views on Labour's energy price freeze

The freeze comes amid a major investigation into the huge profits generated by the energy sector.

The company also announced it was cutting back on renewable energy investment and said 500 staff would lose their job.

ITV News Business Editor Joel Hills reports:

More: SSE protecting shareholders as well as customers

The boss of energy firm SSE announced the company would be freezing prices today, saying he agrees with Ed Miliband, after losing several hundred thousands of customers.

The move prompted an argument inside the House of Commons as Ed Miliband and David Cameron each claimed credit for the move. Other companies are expected to follow, as Business Editor Joel Hills reports.

SSE changes views on Labour's energy price freeze

Read: SSE protecting its shareholders as well as customers

The boss of SSE has dismissed claims that his company's price freeze was timed deliberately to come just before a possible inquiry into the energy market.

The energy regulator Ofgem is widely expected to announce a probe into the whole industry, with firms' billing practices set to come under the spotlight.

But Alistair Phillips-Davies told ITV News his firm had been planning to announce a price freeze for "several weeks".

Joel Hills: SSE protecting its shareholders as well as customers

The chair of the House of Commons energy committee has questioned the impact SSE's promise to freeze prices will have on the energy market.

Tim Yeo said he was worried about companies reducing investment in renewable energy if they think lower bills will hit their profits.

Labour leader Ed Miliband claimed the Government's arguments against an energy price freeze have been "totally demolished" by ministers' backing for SSE's own version of the policy.

At Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour leader leapt on the proposal from the Big Six firm to freeze its prices until January 2016.

He asked David Cameron: "Would we be right to assume that the Prime Minister believes that this price freeze is unworkable, impossible to implement and probably a communist plot?"

However, the Prime Minister insisted measures to cut green tariffs were part of the Government's economic plan and insisted the policies were working.

Watch: SSE boss claims Miliband 'changed the way people look at energy market'

The boss of the energy firm SSE has told ITV News that Ed Miliband "certainly changed the way people look at the energy market" after the Labour leader vowed to freeze energy prices if he won the election:

Joel Hills: SSE protecting its shareholders as well as customers

The boss of the energy firm SSE has told ITV News' Business Editor Joel Hills he supports Labour leader Ed Miliband's pledged to freeze prices if he came to power:

Deputy Political Editor Chris Ship is watching Prime Minister's Questions:

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