Ed Miliband could be forced to explain why his dash for Net Zero has FAILED to cut energy bills – after Labour pledged savings of £300_Nhy
Ed Miliband could be forced to explain why his dash for Net Zero has failed to cut energy bills under new proposals to be debated by MPs next week.
During the election campaign, Mr Miliband, Sir Keir Starmer and a string of other senior figures pledged that the controversial bid to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would cut average energy bills by £300.
But ministers have refused to repeat the commitment since winning power.
Now a Tory amendment to the Great British Energy Bill would require Mr Miliband to give an annual report to Parliament on progress towards the goal.
Ed Miliband could be forced to explain why his dash for Net Zero has failed to cut energy bills under new proposals to be debated by MPs next week
During the election campaign, Mr Miliband, Sir Keir Starmer and a string of other senior figures pledged that the controversial bid to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would cut average energy bills by £300
Offshore wind turbines at the Scroby Sands Wind Farm, operated by E.ON SE, near Great Yarmouth
Claire Coutinho, UK energy security secretary, departs following a meeting of cabinet ministers at 10 Downing Street in London
Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho said: ‘Ed Miliband’s pledge that Great British Energy, his shiny new quango costing £8 billion, will cut your energy bills by up to £300 by 2030 was repeated by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, and Labour MPs up and down the country. However, ever since Miliband took office, he has refused to repeat that pledge.
‘Why? Because he knows it’s not true. In fact, far from bills coming down, bills have gone up by £149 – even more so for the 10 million pensioners set to lose their Winter Fuel Payment. They weren’t so keen to talk about that policy in the election.
‘If Labour MPs want to hold their leadership to account they can back our amendments. If they don’t, it will expose what we knew all along – they never had any intention of delivering on their empty promises.’
Mr Miliband has continued to argue that reducing reliance on fossil fuels will help end the energy bills ‘crisis’. But critics have warned that the speed of the transition could force up costs and increase the risk of energy blackouts.
Regulator Ofgem announced in August that the energy price cap will rise by £149 to an average £1,717 for the period to the end of December.
