Lib Dem leader to hold meeting over gas and electricity bills
Published on : 12/01/2009
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Nick Clegg has announced plans to hold a meeting between energy industry leaders to discuss alternatives to helping families struggling with gas and electricity bills.
The Liberal Democrat leader is calling for the current system of charging, where customers pay more for their first units of energy, to be reversed.
He states that currently low-income customers are paying more per unit of gas and electricity than wealthy individuals who use a lot of energy.
"Millions of people won't have turned up their heating during the recent cold snap because they couldn't afford to," Mr Clegg comments.
"Soaring bills and the economic crisis have left huge numbers of people in fuel poverty, in some cases literally choosing between heating and eating."
Representatives of the Big Six energy companies and groups such as Ofgem and Help the Aged will be present at the summit.
Last week, it was reported by the Daily Express that a number of backbench Labour MPs are calling for Gordon Brown to issue a windfall tax on energy firms following claims such companies have been "profiteering" by not reducing prices in line with wholesale costs.
