Energy policy confusion as Ed Davey and David Cameron reveal different plans

Oct 18 2012 By Cheryl Mullin

ENERGY Secretary Ed Davey appeared to distance himself today from the Prime Minister’s surprise announcement that gas and electricity firms will be required in law to give customers the lowest available deals.

Confusion about the Government’s plans to tackle soaring energy bills continued to mount as Mr Davey sidestepped questions about David Cameron’s statement yesterday.

Labour claimed the Energy Secretary had known nothing about the proposal until it was sprung on him during Prime Minister’s Questions, when Mr Cameron said there would be legislation to require companies to give consumers the lowest tariffs available.

Neither Downing Street nor Mr Davey’s officials have been able to provide any details about the plan, and the Energy Secretary pointedly failed to even refer to it when questioned by the BBC today.

He instead referred to moves to require energy companies to inform customers of the lowest tariffs available to them.

“I’ve been working with the Deputy Prime Minister and others, working with the energy companies, to try to drive more competition, to get them to agree that they will tell their customers what are the best available tariffs, so customers can save money,” said Mr Davey.

“These high energy prices are causing lots of problems and they are at the top of my list of priorities.”

Shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint said the Prime Minister’s statement had thrown energy into confusion, adding: “It caused chaos in the energy industry and I have to say it left his own ministers at a loss as to what energy policy actually is.”

She added: “For the Government to spend a day pretending they have a policy they have no intention of implementing is no way to run the country. It is like something out of The Thick of It.”

Mr Davey was speaking to a CBI event this morning on the subject of energy market reform, but his speech did not feature the Prime Minister's proposal.