Energy firm pledge after electricity price cut

CITY-based energy giant E.ON has cut its electricity prices and announced a panel of experts to look at ways of reducing customers' bills even more.

The independent customer council will look at tariffs and bills, how customers pay, how products are sold and how support is offered to customers struggling to meet the soaring cost of energy bills.

It will be chaired by former Asda chief executive and Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton and made up of Justine Roberts, founder and chief executive of influential website Mumsnet; and Paddy Tipping, the former Labour MP and chair of the energy and climate change select committee.

All of the big six energy companies have cut the price of either gas or electricity in the past week, but none have cut both.

E.ON chief executive Dr Tony Cocker said: "We understand household bills are the most pressing concern for families across the country.

"Reductions over the last few months in the wholesale price we pay for our customers' energy have now allowed us to help as many of our customers as possible by cutting our electricity price and 75 per cent of our customers will benefit.

"Whilst we're pleased to pass on this recent slight fall in wholesale prices, most experts agree global energy prices will continue their long-term rise.

"No stone is being left unturned as we look at the products we offer, how we support our customers and how we make clear what goes into a bill. The Reset Review, led by the customer council, will make sure our customers not only know we are transparently fair but see that we are too."

In September E.ON announced it was axing 500 jobs, some from its headquarters on Westwood Business Park, just weeks after putting up prices by 11.4 per cent for electricity and 18.1 per cent for gas.