Ofgem 'must protect' vulnerable households

More needs to be done to help people who live in fuel poverty, it has been suggested.

Lesley Tudor-Snodin, spokeswoman for National Energy Action (NEA), called on Ofgem to make sure vulnerable homeowners do not face even more financial pressures.

"Households on the lowest incomes … will now be wondering why the energy suppliers' profits have increased so much this year," she highlighted.

Her comments follow recent figures from Ofgem which show that the net margin for a typical standard tariff dual fuel customer rose by a further £30 in February 2010 from November.

Ms Tudor-Snodin pointed out that some people will have found it financially draining just to put the heating on this winter, so these figures will not be taken lightly.

As a result, she believes energy suppliers need to amend their prices so they are in line with falls in the wholesale cost of gas and electricity.

Posted by Martin Ellis