ENERGY SECRETARY IN ENERGY SECURITY ‘BOOST’

Mr Miliband’s ‘accelerated package’ of energy interventions to boost the UK’s energy security include:

• announcing that ‘plug-in solar’, low-cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space, will be made available in the UK for the first time
• announcing that he intends to bring forward the government’s next annual renewables auction to July, inviting renewables companies to invest in UK energy. The most recent round was the biggest ever and alongside the previous auction, it has confirmed enough clean power to power the equivalent of 23 million homes; and
• following the implementation of the Fingleton Review into speeding up the building of nuclear power stations, confirmation that the government will apply the lessons of the review to other infrastructure such as renewables

He said the government had also taken immediate action to support consumers, including working with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ensure that fuel suppliers cannot engage in unfair practices towards consumers such as price gouging.   

The CMA has set out plans to step up monitoring of the road fuel sector to rapidly identify any signs that fuel stations are exploiting the situation. It has also written to heating oil firms to obtain further evidence and assess whether their practices raise consumer protection concerns.   

In addition, the government has stepped up fuel industry compliance with Fuel Finder, its petrol and diesel price comparison scheme. The major retailer Asda has now confirmed its forecourts will be listed on Fuel Finder, taking the scheme’s reach to almost 100% of pumps across the country.