The chief executive of Energy UK has issued to a plea to politicians of all colours to work with the sector and not risk the “unintended consequences of intervention”.
The trade body has today published its manifesto for the June general election, which highlights a number of issues to help develop a more sustainable future.
Speaking to Utility Week, Lawrence Slade, said one of the key messages in the document is “make sure you are involving industry in discussions”.
“Don’t do anything that will risk the unintended consequences of intervention, which could undo all the good progress that is starting to come through in the market now,” said Slade.
“What we want to do is work together to make this market really sing for all consumers. That’s our plea to all of the parties.”
The Conservative Party has already pledged to cap standard variable tariff energy prices if it is re-elected, but the Energy UK manifesto states “competition is the most appropriate way to drive down prices and increase innovation for all”.
The manifesto calls for the continued commitment to provide visibility of long-term support for all low carbon technologies through setting contracts for difference (CfD) allocation rounds on a rolling one-year basis.
“Unless you fix how people are using power and gas, you will not ultimately solve the problem of price always being an issue,” said Slade.
“If you can get people using power more efficiently, using everything in the most efficient manner, then you’ve actually solved a major part of the problem.
“We’ve seen the fantastic impact of renewables over the last few years. We’ve seen the impact of what can happen if you bring lots of different technology into the fold.
“We’ve just had the first day without coal on the system. But to make the next leap, you have to involve heat and transport. You have to look at these things holistically. That requires a different level of thinking from the government.”