Let there be light

CHRIS Huhne, the Energy Secretary, is unlikely to win a popularity contest in the near future. His instincts on renewable energy are out of sync with those who remain sceptical about wind farms. Likewise, his continued outspokenness is not helping Tory and Lib Dem efforts to lift Britain out of an economic maelstrom.

That said, Mr Huhne’s attack on the UK’s big six power companies, accusing them of predatory pricing policies and anti-consumer practices, resonated with all those households perplexed at the breakdown of transparency within the energy industry – even though privatisation was intended to encourage a competitive pricing strategy.

And the fact that three of the power suppliers now accept that a competition inquiry is the only way of restoring consumer confidence, and on top of the many measures already announced by Mr Huhne and Ofgem, shows that they now recognise the seriousness of their abuse of power. The Energy Secretary should now order such an investigation – but, given the likely timescale, it must not be used an excuse to allow current malpractices to continue for the foreseeable future. The heat is on.