Press Release
Major Breakthrough As Energy Bills Begin To Fall
Local MP Tom Clarke welcomed the decision by British Gas, the first major energy supplier in the UK to announce a reduction in standard tariffs for gas by 17% and for electricity by 15%. The average annual dual fuel bill for its customers will fall by £187.00
On the eve of British Gas announcement there was an exchange in the House of Commons at Prime Minister's Questions, when Tom Clarke MP - who has been at the forefront in calling on energy companies to play fair by their customers - asked Mr Blair: "Do you agree that since the wholesale energy prices have been reduced by a staggering 50% since last April, that the time for energy companies to stop offering excuses and to move on to ensure that there are real reductions for long-suffering consumers has surely now arrived?"
Mr. Blair replied: "I hope we are now at a turning point because, of course, as you rightly say there has been a big fall recently in wholesale prices and I understand that some of the biggest suppliers are planning to announce that they will cut their prices for domestic customers in the very near future."
Speaking about the reduction for consumers Tom Clarke said: “I welcome this reduction as a first step and I am sure that the other energy suppliers will follow with similar price reductions. Over the past three years electricity has risen by a staggering 60% and Gas by an outrageous figure of 94%. This has squeezed the living standards particularly of people on low incomes but my mail bag has plenty of evidence to suggest that irrespective of income most consumers have found it incredibly tough to meet these excessive energy costs”.
“That is why I have been actively pursuing a better deal for consumers since June of last year when I proposed the idea of a special tariff for Lanarkshire consumers which was supported of my Lanarkshire MP colleagues. Despite the fact that all the energy suppliers rejected the proposition I continued with the campaign. I then tabled an Early Day Motion calling for a reduction in energy price which was signed by more than 80 MP’s. I also secured a Debate in Parliament on Tuesday 23rd January which was designed to put pressure upon energy companies to reduce their price of energy for domestic households.”
The MP confirmed that he has a scheduled meeting with the Industry Regulator OFGEM. Tom said, “I am not finished on this subject there are number of consumer issues that I will be raising with OFGEM, not least, their capacity within the Regulations to protect consumers”.