CAMPAIGNERS have said the Energy Bill introduced in the UK parliament this week does not do enough to protect vulnerable customers
As much a £100 a year could be added to the average household energy bills through measures introduced by the government this week, which will allow power companies to impose a levy on consumers in order to fund new development.
Energy minister Edward Davey said: “The Energy Bill will attract investment to bring about a once-in-a-generation transformation of our electricity market, moving from predominantly a fossil-fuel to a diverse low-carbon generation mix.
“This is the culmination of two years’ work in designing a new market-based approach that will deliver certainty for investors and fairness for consumers.”
According to government estimates, energy bills could end up £94 a year cheaper by 2020 as a result of the switch to cleaner and renewable energy. But in the short term, energy customers are being asked to fund investment in the industry. Norman Kerr, director of the national fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland, said: “Edward Davey said the interests of vulnerable consumers lay at the heart of the government’s energy policy. It is essential that this pledge is upheld in the coming months as the details of the Energy Bill published today are scrutinised and debated.
“It has been stated today that customer bills will be lower as a result of the actions laid out in the Energy Bill compared with the status quo. It will be essential to ensure that these claims are delivered.”
Glasgow Labour MP John Robertson has written to the Big Six power firms asking them how they intend to protect vulnerable customers when the effects of the expected £100 increase come into effect.