Simon wins campaign for advance notice of electricity and gas price changes

9.54.34am GMT Fri 12th Feb 2010

Energy companies will in future have to inform customers before they change their prices, after the government yesterday accepted Liberal Democrat plans to amend the energy bill currently going through parliament.

Up to now energy companies do not have to tell customers of changes in prices until 65 working days after the price has been changed. Customers then have 20 days to change their tariff or supplier within 20 days of a price change.

During the committee stage of the Energy Bill in January Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, proposed a 'fair notice of fuel prices' clause to change the law and to make sure that energy companies have to give advance notice of any changes in consumers energy prices. The government voted against this proposal in committee last month but have now tabled a similar amendment for report stage of the bill on the 24th of February.

Welcoming the government's u-turn, Simon Hughes said:

"The government's u-turn is one big victory for electricity and gas consumers. Everyone in the country who pays a gas or electricity bill will in future have fair notice of price rises in their fuel bills.

"We will now be looking for further changes to improve the rights of consumers when the bill comes back before the House of Commons at the end of this month"