Government targets climate change and household bills in energy cost review
1 min read
Ministers have launched a major new review to assess how the cost of energy could be reduced.
Keeping household energy bills down and protecting the environment are at the heart of the probe which is expected to publish in October.
But it will not assess the prospect of capping costs for bill-payers – a Conservative election manifesto pledge that was quietly dumped after Theresa May lost her Commons majority.
The announcement comes just days after British Gas hiked bills for 3 million customers by an eye-watering 12.5%.
Energy regulation, efficiency measures and carbon pricing will all come under the scope of the review led by Oxford University professor Dieter Helm.
He said: "My review will be independent and sort out the facts from the myths about the cost of energy, and make recommendations about how to more effectively achieve the overall objectives."
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "All homes and businesses rely on an affordable and secure energy supply and the government is upgrading our energy system to make it fit for the future.
"We want to ensure we continue to find the opportunities to keep energy costs as low as possible, while meeting our climate change targets."
But consumer group Which? said the review would be “cold comfort” to many households already overpaying for their energy.
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