Tom Greatrex MP, Labour’s Shadow Energy Minister, commenting on the news that SSE networks and UKPN will pay £8m following their poor response to power cuts during the Christmas storms, said:

“Ofgem’s statement is clear; these energy companies could and should have done more to help their customers weather the Christmas storms. People were left in the dark by energy companies who could have reconnected them faster and done more to keep them updated.

“With 16,000 customers cut off for more than 48 hours, even in poor conditions, the companies did not do enough to get people re-connected and with calls to helplines went unanswered.

“Britain needs an energy sector that is clear, fair and transparent to restore consumer trust. The next Labour Government will undertake the biggest overhaul of our energy market since privatisation. Our plans will break up the big energy companies and create a tough new regulator that can stand up to the Big Six. And until these reforms kick in, we will put a stop to unfair price rises by freezing energy bills until 2017, saving the average household £120.”

Ends

Note to Editors

Ofgem’s statement on the fines can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-releases/sse-and-ukpn-pay-out-%C2%A38-million-following-christmas-storms