AM condemns Centrica price hike
12 Mai 2008
Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins, has today condemned news from British Gas owner Centrica of potential further bill hikes for customers after revealing that continued high wholesale gas prices would hit results this year. In January Centrica announced an increase in gas and electricity charges of 15 per cent.
Neath-based Ms Jenkins said:
“The prospect of further price hikes is a hammer blow for hard pressed residential and business customers, who are already reeling.
“This increase is especially hard to swallow given Centrica’s brazen admission that their object is to protect profits in its retail business.
“Centrica announced a 15 per cent increase in bills in January, and four months later they are still more concerned about corporate results than hard pressed customers.
“In previous rounds of price increases the energy companies have all followed suit at a respectable distance. It looks like consumers are to face yet more misery on top of rocketing food, mortgage and transport fuel costs.”
Ms Jenkins added:
“In his budget speech Alistair Darling trumpeted an agreement that energy companies would invest more in helping fuel poor customers, yet in the weekend press it was reported that they were even trying to divert some of this money to the Home Heat Helpline.”
ENDS
For Further information please contact Steffan Lewis on 07961 732 405
