Energy Advice Line welcomes British Gas penalties

The Energy Advice Line has applauded a decision by OFGEM to make British Gas pay £5.6m in penalties for unfairly blocking business energy users from switching suppliers.

In welcoming the move, Julian Morgan, managing director of the price comparison and switching service for energy users, said business energy customers had long struggled with problems associated with switching.

Earlier this month the energy regulator ruled that Britain's biggest energy supplier had unfairly blocked business customers from switching to competitors. Nearly 6% of British Gas business account holders who had tried to switch suppliers between 2007 and 2012 had been queried because of outstanding debt or contractual issues.

Government should consider discounts for least well off

The Government should consider introducing energy discounts for the least well off following fresh evidence that the UK's poorest households had been hardest by spiraling energy prices.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the price comparison, switching and advice service for energy users, said the least well off urgently needed extra help to cope with their energy bills.

"The economic downturn has hurt all socio-economic groups, but for the poorest in the community it's been an absolute disaster," Mr Morgan said.

"The evidence is clear that the rising cost of energy has impacted low-income households particularly hard, with fuel bills rising more sharply than the cost of necessities like food and other housing costs.