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Ed Miliband right to accuse Big Six of vested interests
27 September 2011
Responding to Ed Miliband's speech at the Labour party conference today, in which he accused energy companies of vested interests and ripping off customers and called for the development of a high-tech and low-carbon economy, Friends of the Earth's Director of Policy and Campaigns Craig Bennett said:
"Ed Miliband is right to call for an end to the dominance of the Big Six energy firms - their addiction to increasingly expensive fossil fuels has sent our fuel bills spiralling.
"The Government must allow smaller players into the market and support businesses to provide our homes with long-term affordable, clean energy.
"The Labour leader should step up his opposition to feed-in tariff cuts - this funding is vital for encouraging households, businesses and communities to create their own green power."
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Chris Huhne in his speech to Liberal Democrat conference said "We are determined to get tough with the big six energy companies." But he is yet to match his words with bold actions or set out how small players will enter the market. At the same time the Government is cutting feed-in tariff support for business and communities to generate their own green energy.
- Earlier this year Ed Miliband tabled a motion to trigger a Parliamentary debate on the Government's cuts to the solar feed-in tariff.
- Friends of the Earth's research shows that green energy and energy saving offers the best hope of reducing fuel bills in the long run.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Sep 2011
