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Energy Secretary to crack down on predatory pricing

The energy secretary will today pledge to crack down on energy prices, in a bid to keep energy prices low for homes and businesses.

The BBC reports that Chris Huhne will also demand that Ofgem be given powers to force people to give money back to customers of they behave badly.

Ofgem can already fine companies 10 percent of their annual turnover for unfair practices.

At the Liberal Democrat Party conference this afternoon, he will also encourage the ‘big six’ energy companies to give out better deals. This includes British Gas, Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern, Npower, E On and EDF.

He will comment; “We want simpler tariffs, requiring energy companies to tell you whether you could buy more cheaply on another tariff.”

Mr Huhne believes its unfair that big energy companies can push their prices up for the vast majority of customers who don’t switch, which offering low introductory offers which also prevent new providers from entering the market.

Fuel poverty will also be an issue on Mr Huhne’s agenda. He will prioritise the Green Deal, which aims to allow people to pay to make their homes more energy efficient using savings to gas and electricity bills over the long term.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .