Where’s our energy bill cuts Theresa? MPs demand action on manifesto bid to cap prices
THERESA May is coming under fire from all sides over her failure to deliver on a promise to cut energy bills for 17 million households.
Fuel prices have gone up again this year
Almost 200 MPs, including 76 Conservatives, are urging the PM to honour the bold pre-election pledge to help families on standard variable tariffs save as much as £100 by capping prices on their electricity and gas bills.
The idea has since been watered down with energy regulator Ofgem announcing in July it will help only 2.2 million vulnerable customers via a “safeguard tariff”.
All of the biggest energy companies, plus several smaller operators, have raised prices this year despite the political promises.
Theresa May is being urged to honour her election pledge on energy bills
And now 192 angry MPs have fired off a cross-party letter to Mrs May calling on her to end the “stitch-up” and “help the millions of households who Ofgem seem set to ignore”.
For so many Tory MPs to openly criticise the PM is potentially embarrassing just two days before the party conference in Manchester.
John Penrose, the Tory backbencher who led the Parliamentary campaign for an energy price cap, said if Ofgem was refusing to take action, the government “should replace it and implement the energy price cap itself”.
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This was a manifesto pledge in the Conservative, Labour and SNP election campaigns
Mr Penrose said the big six energy companies had “ripped off 17 million consumers and yet Ofgem have chosen to stand idly by, leaving 15 million customers on SVTs to be preyed upon”.
He said: “If Ofgem won’t challenge the big six and stand up for consumers, the government should replace it and implement the energy price cap itself.
“This was a manifesto pledge in the Conservative, Labour and SNP election campaigns, and the breadth and depth of cross-party signatures on this letter shows huge support for the government to get this through parliament.”
Ofgem has no plans to introduce a wide-ranging cap on fuel proces
Conservative MPs who have signed the letter come from across the spectrum in the party: rightwing Brexiters including Bernard Jenkin, Andrew Bridgen and Edward Leigh as well as modernising Tories Heidi Allen and Johnny Mercer.
Former cabinet ministers have also signed, including Andrew Mitchell and Caroline Spelman.
Ofgem said it shared MPs’ concerns that the energy market was failing some consumers but made clear it had no plans for a wide-ranging cap unless ordered to do so by ministers.
A spokesman said: “A price cap for all customers on standard tariffs would represent a significant change in policy. We believe that the decision is a matter for government, not an unelected regulator.”