Page 9 - Gi flipbook April 2018

Restrict price recent feeble efforts to current system.
Around 12 million
move consumers off these
charged for gas and tariffs has only served to households are stuck on
poor-value tariffs, according
highlight the need for this
electricity - MPs intervention.” to the report.
The committee also
National assistance
criticised Ofgem for failing
charity Citizens Advice
to protect customers, said “loyal and vulnerable”
A POWERFUL COMMONS Labour’s Rachel Reeves, especially the most customers had been “ripped
committee says the only way who chairs the committee, vulnerable. off” for too long.
to tackle overcharging by the said: “The energy market Draft legislation for an Chief Executive Gillian
Big Six is to cap the amount is broken. Energy is an absolute cap on energy Guy said: “An absolute cap,
they charge for energy. essential good and yet tariffs was published by the as recommended by the
Sky News reports that millions of customers are government last year. committee, is crucial to
MPs are calling for a cap ripped off for staying loyal But Business Secretary securing protection for the
on the price of gas and to their energy provider. Greg Clark refused to largest number of customers
electricity amid fears “An energy price cap is guarantee that the flagship while continuing to provide
consumers are being now necessary and the plans would be in place by competition in the market.
ripped off. government must act next winter. This should apply to all
The Business, Energy urgently to ensure it is in Committee members default tariffs.” ■
and Industrial Strategy place to protect customers said there was a “clear
(BEIS) Select Committee next winter. lack of will” on the part Rachel Reeves MP
says the Big Six energy “The Big Six energy of the Big Six to do what
companies have been companies might whine and was necessary to deal with
overcharging for years. wail about the introduction pricing problems.
MPs on the committee of a price cap but they’ve A report from the
backed plans for a been overcharging their committee found that
temporary absolute cap customers on default and customers are paying £1.4
to fix what they called a SVTs (standard variable billion a year more than
'broken' energy market. tariffs) for years and their they should be under the

Fossil fuel giant wins right to challenge

Scottish government’s fracking ban

ENERGY GIANT INEOS of its human rights, reports which includes fracking, said the claim was in an
has won the right to have The National. and then to make that “undeveloped state” while
a judicial review of the Ineos Upstream and moratorium permanent. James Mure QC on behalf
Scottish government’s Reach Coal Seam Gas In a judgement issued of the Lord Advocate
decisions to ban fracking. went to court to challenge by Lord Pentland at the argued that the 2015
The company which the government’s Court of Session, the two decisions were time-barred
runs the Grangemouth oil decisions taken in 2015 companies were granted a for judicial review as an
refinery has also won the and 2017 respectively to judicial review which will application to the courts
right to sue the government have a moratorium on take place in May. needs to be made within
for damages for a breach unconventional oil and gas In court Lord Pentland three months of the
decision.
Grangemouth oil refinery Both firms have said
their business has been
affected by the 2015
and 2017 decisions and
Lord Pentland said in
his judgement: “On a
provisional view, there may
be some possible merit in
the proposition that the
2015 and 2017 decisions
are closely inter-linked and
that this is significant in the
wider context of the issues
that arise in the case.” ■

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News.indd 4 15/03/2018 14:24