Energy bills

David Cameron says that fuel poverty only went up under Labour, but having looked at the figures, FactCheck isn’t as convinced. Same goes for his claims on winter fuel payments.

Ed Miliband has shocked the energy industry by saying he wants to force them to freeze their customers’ fuel bills for nearly two years. A bold move – but is it even legal? FactCheck investigates.

David Cameron keeps on saying the government will, by law, force energy companies to put customers on the lowest tariffs. Doesn’t appear in any bills FactCheck can find.

And of course, it isn’t all doom and gloom for Centrica when wholesale prices go up, because the giant doesn’t just buy gas and electricity at source. It produces it and sells it wholesale too.

“There’s no dispute that rapidly-rising fuel bills are hitting households hard. But who is to blame for the squeeze?”

“Mr Huhne said the average consumer would be ‘better off’ by the end of the decade…that’s a claim that immediately set alarm bells ringing at FactCheck Towers.

The claim “I do think there’s a very attractive idea of saying that as oil prices rise and as the Treasury potentially benefits from some revenue from those oil price rises… is there a way of sharing the pain of increased petrol prices between the motorist on the one hand and the Treasury on the…