ELECTRIC AND GAS POWER SUPPLY BILLS NEED CUT NOW.

ELECTRIC AND GAS POWER SUPPLY BILLS NEED CUT NOW.



SCOTTISH ELECTRIC AND GAS POWER SUPPLY BILLS NEED CUT NOW.



PARLIAMENT URGED TO BACK LOWER BILLS.

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament
calling for the immediate reduction of power bills following the steep
decline in wholesale energy prices recently -a decline that has not been
passed on to either domestic consumers, businesses or public sector users
such as the NHS or local authorities.

His call is supported by SNP Energy spokesman Mike Weir MP.

Mr Gibson, who represents Cunninghame North said;

“Power companies are quick off the mark to raise prices when wholesale
costs increase. They should be just as quick to cut those prices when
wholesale costs fall.

“Despite wholesale electricity and gas costs falling by over 40% recently,
Scots households are still expected to pay the inflated costs of last
summer. It is totally unacceptable.

“Prices need to be cut in these difficult times to reflect the costs power
companies are now paying. At a time of economic downturn when Labour's
recession means everyone is feeling the pinch, no one should have to pay
over the odds just to boost the profits of the power companies.

SNP Westminster Energy Spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, added:

“Last year’s price hikes pushed thousands of Scots into fuel poverty – an
absolute scandal in an energy rich country.

“The UK Government has powers to force energy companies to bring down
prices in line with wholesale costs. It’s time to stop tinkering around
the edges of fuel poverty and tackle the problem head on. Bringing down
prices for hard pressed families and businesses is the place to start.”

The motion lodged by Mr Gibson is below;
Cut Power Bills Now!

S3M-03157 Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP):

That the Parliament notes that the forward price of gas for delivery in
winter 2009 has plummeted from 109p per therm in July to 63.6p per therm
in the last days of 2008, a decline of almost 42%; further notes that the
forward price of electricity fell from £94.50 per MWhour to £56.65 over
the same period, a decrease of over 40%; is concerned that power companies
that were so keen to raise prices rapidly and in full during 2008 are much
more reluctant to pass on full price cuts quickly, with consumers expected
to wait until February or March for probable price cuts of only 5% or 10%,
with 20% cuts at best; acknowledges that the wholesale cost of gas and
electricity represents about two-thirds of the total cost of supply borne
by energy providers, and believes therefore that hard-pressed energy
consumers, both domestic and business, should receive full price cuts and
swiftly or that energy providers should be compelled by the UK Government
to make the cuts.