So this week we have seen the energy companies tell us what we have all known for a long time, that they have been overcharging us and frequently offering a poor service. We even have SSE, which includes Swalec, saying it will improve transparency by legally separating its retail and wholesale businesses and proposing an energy price freeze … though we will need to keep a watchful look-out to make sure that those are not just weasel words whilst they mix a price freeze with higher standing charges.
Yet back last year when Ed Miliband proposed an energy price freeze and breaking up the energy market, there was outcry, followed by sulky assertions that it could not be done….. They did not like him pointing the finger. That is what happens when you take on vested interests.
Next Wednesday 9th April, Labour’s shadow energy secretary, Caroline Flint MP will be visiting us here in West Wales. But she will not only visiting big energy projects in Pembrokeshire and talking about Labour’s energy freeze: she will be discussing how we could help people who are off grid and seeing the Llanelli Saveeasy credit union in action running an oil club across Carmarthenshire to help people with heating oil costs.
She will also be meeting people who are interested in smaller scale renewable and community energy projects to discuss what can be done to facilitate the uptake of such schemes. If you would like to be involved in these discussions, please ask for details by emailing me at nia.griffith.mp@parliament.uk or phoning my office on 01554 756374.