The big six energy suppliers (EDF, Eon UK, British Gas, SSE, Npower and Scottish Power) have increased prices by 36 per cent since October 2010, during a time that average wage rises have been pegged back at only 4.4 per cent.
They have made absolutely no effort to pursue savings through efficiency and pass those savings on to consumers in their bills. British Gas hiked its prices by a further 10.4 per cent in November and Npower is adding 9.4 per cent in December.
Aspect.co.uk undertakes thousands of refurbishments every year, which involve improving the energy efficiency of buildings. As such, we are aware that improving Britain’s ageing building stock is important work, but raising the cash to finance this work through tariffs added by the big six impacts directly on the poorest in our society.
The energy suppliers constantly cite government green taxes as the cause of their price rises but the big six have still managed to significantly increase the amount of profit they collect from customers.
I would like to see the government raising money from other “green taxes” to pay for home insulation rather than an across-the-board fuel tax that has an impact mostly on the least well off.
Ofgem needs to step up to the plate and create competition in the energy market by doing its job and enforcing the appropriate regulations.
Will Davies, co-founder and managing director of
www.aspect.co.uk