A UK Government minister has revealed he is backing the Press and Journal’s campaign to cut energy bills in the north and north-east.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael announced his support yesterday – and told the Ofgem regulator that it “now needs to act” to stop local consumers being penalised because of where they live.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also threw his weight behind the Fair Deal on Energy Prices campaign.
Raising the issue in Westminster, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said the surcharge that costs families in northern Scotland hundreds of pounds extra a year had created a “sense of anger and injustice”.
The Press and Journal launched the Fair Deal on Energy Prices campaign last October after it emerged that electricity in the region costs 2p per unit more than elsewhere in the UK because of a regional pricing system for transmission.
Power giant SSE has since proposed a move to flat rate across the UK, and in the last two weeks both the Competition and Markets Authority regulator and Westminster’s energy and climate change committee have signalled that they could support an overhaul of the system.
The backing of Mr Carmichael and Mr Kennedy, two high profile north Lib Dems, added to the momentum yesterday.
At Scottish questions in the Commons, Mr Kennedy said: “I am sure that the secretary of state, as a Highlands and islands MP, will share the sense of anger and injustice at SSE’s 2p surcharge on electricity costs, given that it made a profit of £1.5billion last year.
“Will he do everything possible at the UK level to ameliorate this state of affairs, not least by endorsing the excellent campaign by The Press and Journal?”
Mr Carmichael responded: “I rarely have any difficulty in endorsing a campaign run by The Press and Journal.”
Speaking after the exchanges, the Orkney and Shetland MP said: “As an islander, I know how important energy prices are to people in the Highlands and islands.
“We have longer, darker and colder winters and many people rely on electricity for their heating.
“It is essential that the price of energy is fair and transparent.
“Obviously this is the responsibility of the energy regulator, Ofgem, but they now need to act on this and to ensure that the prices paid by the people of the Highlands and Islands do not put us at a disadvantage.
“That’s why I’m backing the Press and Journal’s campaign for a Fair Deal on Energy Prices.”