Government to Go “Further and Faster” in Becoming Energy Secure

The Energy Secretary will today (Sunday 15 March) outline a package of measures to go “further and faster” in the pursuit of national energy security as a response to events in the Middle East.

The Energy Secretary is today setting out an accelerated package of energy interventions to boost the UK’s energy security:

• announcing that ‘plug-in solar’, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on their balconies or outdoor space, will be made available in the UK for the first time
• announcing that we intend to bring forward the government’s next annual renewables auction to July, inviting renewables companies to invest in UK energy. The most recent round was the biggest ever and alongside the previous auction, we have confirmed enough clean power to power the equivalent of 23 million homes
• following the implementation of the Fingleton Review into speeding up the building of nuclear power stations, confirmation that the government will apply the lessons of the review to other infrastructure such as renewables

The government has taken immediate action to support consumers, including working with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ensure that fuel suppliers cannot engage in unfair practices towards consumers such as price gouging.

The CMA has set out plans to step up monitoring of the road fuel sector to rapidly identify any signs that fuel stations are exploiting the situation. It has also written to heating oil firms to obtain further evidence and assess whether their practices raise consumer protection concerns.

The CMA has the power to fine companies if it finds consumer or competition law has been broken, and the government fully supports the CMA’s statement that it will not hesitate to do so.

The government has also stepped up fuel industry compliance with Fuel Finder, its petrol and diesel price comparison scheme. The major retailer Asda has now confirmed its forecourts will be listed on Fuel Finder, taking the scheme’s reach to almost 100% of pumps across the country.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

"Global events demonstrate there’s not a moment to waste in our drive for clean power because there can be no energy security while we are so dependent on fossil fuels.

"So today I’m announcing a series of initiatives to speed up our clean power mission: bringing forward the next renewables auction just months after our most successful ever, announcing that plug in solar will be available for the first time in Britain and speeding up our warm homes plan.

"Everything we are doing is about one purpose: fighting the corner of the British people by taking back control of our energy."

Read the full press release below.