The Government may have to intervene to force energy companies to lower their prices, Bradford Council Conservative Leader Kris Hopkins has said.
“One in five families and one in three pensioner households in this country is living in fuel poverty, and this is simply wrong in today’s world,” said Cllr Hopkins.
“The energy regulator Ofgem has asked the major energy providers to come up with proposals by the beginning of next month to bring prices down. But words are not enough. As winter begins to draw in, local residents in Bradford district want warms homes and lower fuel bills – not words.”
Cllr Hopkins pointed out that average fuel bills had gone up by £400 since the beginning of the year and, despite significant falls in wholesale energy prices over recent weeks, the differences had not yet been passed on to customers.
“Christmas is expensive enough for the normal family but, in the current economic climate, things could be more difficult this year than for decades. Very high energy costs are clearly making matters significantly worse and could force many families to go deeper into debt.
“And for pensioners, unless fuel prices come down rapidly, many will have to choose between eating and keeping warm.
“This Labour Government is very fond of meddling in people’s lives, normally not for the better.
“But, if the energy companies fail to act to lower their prices, Ministers must take some form of forcible action to compel them to do so.”
