Commenting on the competition inquiry announced by Ofgem and the energy figures released by the Department for Energy and Climate Change today, Greenpeace UK energy campaigner Louise Hutchins said:
“Breaking up the stranglehold of the Big Six on the UK energy market is a vital step to unlock a better future of lower bills and more clean energy. It’s crucial that the competition inquiry doesn’t become an excuse to kick urgent action into the long grass.
“What this market probe cannot do, though, is prepare the energy system for the systematic change triggered by the energy revolution of smart grid, cheaper renewables, local city generation, and new players like Google. Just focusing on the competition amongst the existing utilities is a bit like rearranging the queuing system for horses and carts as cars are taking over the roads.
"The lights-out threat waved by the energy bosses is the desperate bluff of someone who is holding a busted flush and knows it. The one thing the energy giants really fear is more ambitious clean energy targets, yet ministers have shied away from taking serious action on this.
“Government figures published today suggest the alternative to a ‘fossilised’ energy system is already working: power generation from renewables hit a record high and energy use fell thanks to more efficiency. Promoting low-carbon generation and cutting energy waste is the winning formula to lower bills, boost energy security, and fixing our climate.”
ENDS
Notes
Energy Desk summary of DECC's energy figures: http://bit.ly/1fn4l5y
· UK power generation from renewables reached a record high of 15% last year, with offshore wind generation up by nearly half, whilst energy use fell thanks to more efficiency.
· The increase in low-carbon power generation helped reduce coal burning in 2013, although the carbon-intensive fuel still made up more than a third of the power we use.
Contact: Stefano Gelmini, Greenpeace UK press office, 07506 512 442
