Supplier slammed for ‘blaming’ price hikes on poorer customers

National Energy Action has hit back at reports that an energy company blamed social policies for its increasing energy bills.

The charity has released a statement telling the supplier: “Don’t blame support for poorer customers for any of your future price hikes.”

Reports in the Daily Mail and the Sun said that an “unspecified industry source” claimed that social policies were a possible cause of increases in domestic energy bills next year and that the “entire extra costs would be added to customers’ bills.”

National Energy Action (NEA) director of policy and research Peter Smith said: “Overall the impact of domestic energy efficiency policies on bills has declined dramatically in recent years. Suppliers are also being given new data to deliver the Energy Company Obligation and the Warm Home Discount electricity rebates more cost effectively than ever before.

“Of course, in some ways, the UK Government could better balance the burden on energy bill payers and Treasury spending. We estimate the Treasury will receive approximately £14 billion from domestic energy consumers over this Parliament and yet not £1 of central government investment is planned to go into energy saving. 

“Some of the new costs feeding through to bills are also deeply regressive. We are particularly worried about the additional costs domestic consumers will face, if Government plans to exempt large polluters from an increasing number of policies, goes ahead. However our message to this unnamed industry source is clear: Don’t blame support for poorer customers for any of your future price hikes.”

The NEA has also recently highlighted further steps that would help tackle exclusion in the energy market and help the Government meet statutory fuel poverty targets.