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Labour leader says the regulator is not doing enough to curb energy prices
Jeremy Corbyn has accused the big six energy companies of short changing customers and said that Ofgem’s mooted plans to tackle rising prices are not tough enough.
In the first Prime Minister’s Questions Time after Parliament returned from the summer recess, the Labour leader stepped into the ongoing debate over energy price rises.
Pointing to figures published last week by Ofgem, which showed that the big six’s profit margins had increased, Corbyn said that the energy regulator’s mooted plans to curb bills did not go far enough.
He said: “Ofgem’s plans will only benefit 2.6m customers; 17m customers are short changed by the big six energy companies.”
Corbyn called on prime minister Theresa May, who he said had been “briefly converted” on the importance of tackling energy bills, to intervene in the issue. “She could and should take action on it,” he added
Responding to Corbyn, May pointed to business secretary Greg Clark’s letter to Ofgem in June seeking advice on action to safeguard the poorest customers.
“We are concerned about the way that particular market is operating, we expect the companies to treat customers fairly. That is why we have looked at actions that can be taken,” she said
“We are particularly concerned about the poorest customers who are on the poorest tariffs.”
Ofgem said last week that it is planning to publish a consultation before the end of this month outlining its proposals for a new safeguard tariff for the hardest-up bill payers.
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