UK business secretary to offer guidance to Ofgem on fuel poverty

LONDON (Thomson Financial) – The UK plans to give fresh guidance to the energy regulator on how to combat fuel poverty in the UK, the UK business secretary said.

In a speech to the Future of Utilities conference at the Adam Smith Institute, business secretary John Hutton said he plans to renew the current guidance given to Ofgem in 2004 to eradicate the number of households living in fuel poverty in the UK.


‘Government already issues statutory guidance to Ofgem on social and environmental matters, but the current guidance was issued in 2004, and energy markets have undergone radical changes since,’ said Hutton.

‘I therefore intend to consult on new guidance shortly … to stress our expectation that Ofgem will take a strong lead in coordinating activity to help low income and vulnerable consumers benefit from competitive markets, and particularly to facilitate switching among low income and vulnerable consumers, and so help tackle fuel poverty.’

Forbes