Tricks of the trade, by Jillian Ambrose

“The energy price cuts ­constitute a tepid price war”

The public outrage over the recent spate of energy price cuts is almost as vitriolic as before they’d been passed through.

Apparently, the only thing worse than not lowering bills following a year of plummeting gas and power market prices is passing on a cut which doesn’t pass muster.

Consumer groups have railed against the sub-5 per cent price cuts offered by Eon, British Gas and Scottish Power – especially seeing as the last two of the three are only planning to pass those on as winter finally ends.

But as is so often the case when it comes to market ­matters played out in the national media, there seems to be more noise than constructive debate.

The big six are pretty consistent with their argument: wholesale prices are just half the story, and the other half of the story is pushing up prices. Don’t forget to halve those losses again though, because much of the energy used today was bought before the past year’s market falls.

And the argument from consumer groups? “It’s not good enough.”

The cuts “feel half-hearted” and constitute a “tepid price war”.

Even as Labour threatened to force the cuts through themselves, there was very little detail about exactly how far they’d go, or when they’d be happy that the price is right.

If politicians, consumer groups and the public don’t know what they can reasonably expect, is it any ­wonder that they’re perpetually ­disappointed?