FURIOUS Energy Secretary Greg Clark is hauling in energy industry chiefs tomorrow to demand answers over the Sun’s rip-off revelations.
Lobby organisation Energy UK will be dragged in to explain why its secret report suggests the Big Six are making profits seven times bigger than claimed.
The figures showed the average cost to the Big Six of providing a dual-fuel bill is £844 – far below the £1,172 standard tariff for most customers.
And the Sun can reveal the Tory big hitter’s radical proposals to shake-up the energy sector will be unveiled at the start of December.
Iain Conn, the head of British Gas-owner Centrica, is expected to meet him for face-to-face talks next week.
Mr Clark ordered a probe into energy suppliers’ tariffs after seeing The Sun’s expose yesterday.
He said the revelations appeared to confirm his concern that the big energy companies are fleecing loyal customers – and offering the biggest discounts to those who shop around online.
The Energy Secretary said: “Customers who are loyal to their energy supplier should be treated well, not taken for a ride, and it’s high time the big companies recognised this.
“I have made clear to the big firms that this can’t go on, and they must treat customers properly or be made to do so. I want to look into the evidence the report contains and will ask Energy UK to meet with me to discuss its findings.”
Energy UK yesterday insisted the Sun’s version of the report was a draft and could not be used to reliably show profit margins.
But industry sources were furious with the trade association for the leak.
The Sun two months ago revealed Ministers were considering radical plans to slap a wave of price controls on the Big Six in an unprecedented shake-up.
The options include extending a price cap to protect ‘vulnerable’ customers on low incomes or benefits.
Other measures include forcing gas and electricity giants to automatically put customers onto cheaper deals if they haven’t switched for a set period of years.
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