Prime Minister pledges energy action to Citizens Advice

Just before the Energy Summit today (Monday 17 October), the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, visited Citizens Advice.

Citizens Advice helps 2.1m people a year, and has recently seen a near doubling in the number of online enquiries about energy prices.

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The Prime Minister said:

“It’s really important we work together to help people keep their bills down. Thank you for the work the Citizens Advice Bureaux will do nationally and locally to help get people onto to cheaper tariffs and switch suppliers.”

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said:

“We need to make sure the most in need can access free insulation and the Citizens Advice Bureaux have crucial role to get that information out there.”

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said:

“This is a huge problem. We’re seeing a rush of people wanting simple, sensible advice about cutting their energy bills. That shows how far the big six have to go in making it easy to get the right deal.

“At the summit later today, I’ll be pressing for an agreement to get rid of complicated and confusing tariffs, make sure the poorest households don’t end up paying for the loft insulation of the richest households through unfair add-ons to their bills, and makes the energy market properly competitive.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website .

  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.

  3. To find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk . You can also get advice online at adviceguide.org.uk

  4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers

  5. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.3 million clients on 5.4 million problems from October 2013 to September 2014. For full 2013/2014  service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends

  6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 3,000 service outlets across England and Wales.