MSE News: Government to announce energy crackdown

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"The Energy Secretary will announce a crackdown on the biggest energy companies and pledge to help consumers save cash ..."

Read the full story:

Government to announce energy crackdown

Also see:
MSE's top ten energy 'need to knows'

tagq2

Oh look, minimum charges and removal of generous tariffs to "encourage competition" which just mean more revenue for the bigger suppliers. State-provided energy provision may work. A free market with protections against fraud may work. But the British Of* obsession with kicking the larger providers in the hope that the smaller ones will magically create a wonderful competitive marketplace? It's like BT's affair with Ofcom all over again, only with even less opportunity to dig up roads to provide real alternatives rather than invoice printers.

You know what's a great winter tariff? A wood burner.

grahamc2003

Yesterday it was the consumers' fault that we have high energy bills. Today it's the energy companys'.

Keep guessing Mr Huhne, I'm sure you'll guess at the real culprit causing high energy bills soon enough (or maybe not).

Offshore wind farms: Chris Huhne wants to see more wind turbines off our coastline, like this one near Rhyl, North Wales

Pincher

Cut throat pricing? Where? where? I want name and web address.

Cardew

This comes from the person(Huhne) who champions paying individuals and investors in 'Rent a Roof' companies subsidies of around 43p a kWh for their PV panel's output.

If you own your house, with a suitable roof and have £8,000 to £15,000 to spend, you can cash in, or rent out your roof for a pittance and let venture capitalists cash in.

These 'Green' subsidies are a big factor in the ever increasing price of electricity and will inevitably be the cause of higher prices in the future. These subsidies are paid directly for by those who rent, live in flats or have an unsuitable roof and include the poorest in our society. As someone said - 'A reverse Robin Hood' take from the poor to help the rich!!!

CharlieBilly

I believe it when I see it. The government haven't a clue nor care how people are suffering. I also agree about these green subsides should at least be cut down, solar panels on peoples homes and micro generation is expensive, they bleed money often from the poor and give to the affluent/people interested in so called green initiatives, okay some panels are free but they again pay FIT to rich people who own these companies

chrisandchantal

Right we are on a planet where the rich gets richer at the expense (ah ah what a funny expression!!) of the poorest. What is new under our sun?

schrodie

The problem is that (the millionaire) Huhne is part of the problem thanks to his "green taxes" added onto everyone's energy bill.

Consumerist

The key points he [Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne] will announce are:

* Wanting Ofgem to have new powers enabling it to give consumers refunds for bad behaviour by their provider.

Currently, Ofgem's website says that it cannot deal with individual consumer complaints. So how is this "refund" capability going to work?

Ofgem, at the moment, seems entirely isolated and unapproachable as far as consumers are concerned.

backfoot

They can't win, can they?

I couldn't have been more critical of the past. Let's see the detail and how it might work with other agencies, before we write it all off.It's got to be better than the current chaos.

Consumerist

If the Energy Ombudsman had as much power as the Financial Ombudsman then I think consumers would be better served.