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U.K. Energy Companies Warned Against Blocking Price Disclosure
2010-09-30 11:03:32.645 GMT
By Catherine Airlie
Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Chris Huhne, U.K. secretary of
state for energy and climate change, said energy companies
shouldn't block a proposal to give customers notice before they
raise energy bills.
Ofgem, Britain's energy regulator, today proposed energy
suppliers should give 30 days notice before any price rises are
made to "help consumers work out whether they are getting a
good deal in their energy," the regulator said in a statement
on its website.
The regulator will seek advice from the competition
commission if energy companies reject the plan, it said.
"The best result for consumers will be if energy companies
don't block the changes that Ofgem proposes," Huhne said in an
e-mailed statement. ''If they do, I won't hesitate to use my
powers to end for good the practice of surprise energy bill
hikes."
The plan is part of Ofgem's drive to improve competition
after its probe into energy markets in 2008. Utilities have 65
days after raising prices to inform customers under current
rules, Ofgem said. The new plan could start by January 2011,
unless suppliers reject the change.
For Related News and Information:
Top Energy Stories: ETOP<GO>
U.K. Power Prices: ELEU<GO>
--Editors: Will Kennedy, Alex Devine.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Catherine Airlie at +44-20-7073-3308 or
cairlie@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Rob Verdonck at +44-20-3216-4149 or
rverdonck@bloomberg.net
