Energy 供給者s must 会合，会う 最終期限s for switching and 支払う／賃金 抱擁する 罰金s for overcharging, Huhne 警告するs

By Daniel ツバメ for the Daily Mail and Ed 修道士 for Thisismoney.co.uk
Updated: 17:44 BST, 20 September 2011

Energy 大臣 Chris Huhne has 約束d to 'get 堅い' with gas and electricity 供給者s with a raft of new 支配するs 含むing a 最終期限 for switching and 制限のない 罰金s for 'bad behaviour'.

Mr Huhne took an 積極的な 姿勢 with the 'big six' energy 供給者s when he 演説（する）／住所d 委任する／代表s at the 自由主義の 民主党員 party 会議／協議会 in Birmingham today.

He 約束d 活動／戦闘 on making 法案s more simple, 生き返らせる up switching, 制限のない 罰金s for poor practice by 供給者s and end to 'predatory pricing' where 供給者s 割引 prices to 安全な・保証する new 顧客s, placing them at an advantage versus new 供給者s looking to enter the market.

Getting 堅い: Energy 長官 Chris Huhne has 約束d to 攻撃する，衝突する energy providers with 罰金s

Last week, Mr Huhne attracted attention for seeming to 非難する 顧客s for not 存在 proactive enough in 捜し出すing out t he best 取引，協定s on energy. This, he said, 許すd 供給者s to get away with poor service and high prices without the 脅し of losing 顧客s.

Today he took 目的（とする） at the energy 部門 支配するd by six 供給者s - British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish 力／強力にする, E.On, EDF Energy? and npower.

He said said: ‘We are 決定するd to get 堅い with the big six energy companies to 確実にする that the 消費者 gets the best possible 取引，協定. We want simpler 関税s; 要求するing energy companies to tell you whether you could buy more cheaply on another 関税.

‘I want to help 世帯s save money, simpler 非難する, clearer 法案s, quicker switching and more 消費者-friendly 会社／堅いs - co-ops, 共同s, 消費者 charities - 献身的な to doing the shopping around for 消費者s to make sure that you are always on the best 取引，協定, even if you do not have time to check yourself.’

力／強力にする 会社／堅いs have been 課すing 20 per cent price rises

Mr Huhne 明かすd a raft of 改革（する）s, 含むing 軍隊ing energy companies to 許す 顧客s to switch 供給者 in just three weeks ? much shorter than the usual period.

Mr Huhne wants the 産業 regulator Ofgem to have the 力／強力にする to 課す 制限のない 罰金s on companies who overcharge their 顧客s.

He 追加するd: 'I believe Ofgem should have new 力／強力にするs to 安全な・保証する 是正する for 消費者s - money 支援する for bad behaviour - and we will stop the energy companies from 封鎖するing 活動／戦闘 by Ofgem, which can 延期する 事柄s by a year.'

The money raised from these 罰金s could be given 直接／まっすぐに 支援する to 消費者s in the form of rebates on their 法案s ? rather than going into 財務省 coffers as at 現在の.

力／強力にする 会社／堅いs have been criticised in 最近の weeks for 課すing price rises on 世帯s of anything up to 20 per cent on their 連合させるd gas and electricity, 追加するing up to £200 a year to a typical 法案.

Ofgem is already 行為／行うing work to 減ずる the number and 複雑さ of 関税s on 申し込む／申し出, and is 調査／捜査するing the pricing of energy 供給者s.

Critics 示唆する that the 産業 operates as a cartel with 供給者s moving prices 一団となって／一緒に within a 狭くする 範囲 leaving 顧客s with no competitor 供給者 who will undercut prices.

The regulator is 雇うing specialist accountants to get to the 底（に届く） of （人命などを）奪う，主張するs that 供給者s use accounting tricks to 減ずる the 利益（をあげる） they make from 小売 顧客s, helping them to 正当化する price rises.

Mr Huhne said that energy companies had agreed to 追加する （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on to 法案s this winter that will direct 顧客s on how to switch to cheaper 関税s.

It comes ahead of 計画（する）s to 軍隊 them next year to 始める，決める out 正確に／まさに how much 顧客s could save by switching to a different 関税 申し込む／申し出d by their own 供給者.

He said: 'It is not fair that big energy companies can 押し進める their prices up for the 広大な 大多数 of their 消費者s - who do not switch - while introducing 削減（する）-throat 申し込む／申し出s for new 顧客s that stop small 会社／堅いs entering the market.

'That looks to me like predatory pricing. It must and will stop.'