Government deny calling for energy bill freeze

The UK government has denied asking energy firms to delay price hikes. Picture: Getty

Ed Miliband is pledging to end the energy “rip-off” as he details proposals for reforming markets but Prime Minister David Cameron continued to claim Labour’s plans were a con.

It comes as Government sources denied reports that the big six energy firms are being urged by the Government to hold prices until the middle of 2015.

Speaking from Vilnius in Lithuania where he is attending a summit, Mr Cameron said: “I want to help households and families by getting sustainably low energy prices.

“Now, the only way you can do that is by increasing competition and eroding the costs of some of the levies on people’s bills.

“I said that’s what we were going to do, that is what we are going to do and I think that’s a very positive step forward.

“That’s a world away from making a vague promise about something you might do in 20 months’ time with no idea about how you are going to do it.

“That is a con. What we are dealing with is real policy that can make a real difference.”

Industry sources had told the BBC that government had asked them to try to avoid another round of price rises, barring any big increase in wholesale fuel costs.

But the Downing Street dismissed the claims as “utterly misleading”.

A Number 10 source said: “This story is utterly misleading. The Government has not asked for a price freeze. People should wait for us to announce our plans.”