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Ed Miliband promises firms energy bill protection Miliband to pledge energy bill protection for small firms
(about 11 hours later)
Ed Miliband is to promise to protect small businesses from "unacceptable" treatment by energy firms. Ed Miliband is to tell small businesses he will protect them from "unacceptable treatment" by energy firms.
He will pledge to set up a regulator to stop companies being "rolled" on to higher tariffs and forced to pay "crippling" back-dated bills. In a speech, he will pledge to set up a regulator to stop firms being "rolled" on to higher tariffs and forced to pay "crippling" back-dated bills.
The Labour leader will say the UK's energy market is "broken", with many firms lacking even "basic protections". He will say a Labour government would ensure small firms were given the same legal protections as householders.
But the Conservatives said Labour was "anti-business" and had "no plan" to boost the economy. Chancellor George Osborne's Budget outlined a freeze on the "carbon floor" - a fossil fuels tax - for firms.
Energy prices have become a keenly contested political issue in recent months. The move will save medium-sized manufacturers £50,000 a year by 2018, the government said.
At last autumn's Labour conference, Mr Miliband promised a 20-month freeze on gas and electricity prices if the party wins the 2015 general election. 'Broken market'
But the coalition has warned that this plan is unworkable and could even force up tariffs in the meantime. Some of the biggest energy firms raised their tariffs at the end of last year, and energy prices have become a keenly contested political issue in recent months.
'Bedrock' The Labour leader's speech comes a day after a competition inquiry into the "big six" energy firms was announced.
In his Budget last week, Chancellor George Osborne announced he was freezing the price of the "carbon floor" - a tax paid on fossil fuels - for businesses. Addressing the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Manchester, Mr Miliband will say firms do not have the same level of protection as consumers.
This will save medium-sized manufacturers £50,000 a year by 2018, the government says.
Meanwhile, the supplier SSE announced on Wednesday that its domestic gas and electricity prices would be frozen at their current levels until 2016.
But the industry regulator Ofgem has called for an investigation into whether the "big six" UK energy suppliers are preventing effective competition.
Addressing the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Mr Miliband will say firms do not have the same level of protection as consumers.
He will promise to give business organisations like the FSB new legal rights to take cases - such as late payment by firms or government departments - to court on behalf of their members.He will promise to give business organisations like the FSB new legal rights to take cases - such as late payment by firms or government departments - to court on behalf of their members.
Mr Miliband will also announce measures including giving a new energy regulator powers to enforce a ban on suppliers from rolling firms over on to more expensive tariffs without their consent - or imposing retrospective back-billing for periods of longer than a year.Mr Miliband will also announce measures including giving a new energy regulator powers to enforce a ban on suppliers from rolling firms over on to more expensive tariffs without their consent - or imposing retrospective back-billing for periods of longer than a year.
He will say: "We have to mend the broken energy market and freeze bills up to 2017 not just for customers of one company but for all customers of all the energy companies and all customers." "We have to mend the broken energy market and freeze bills up to 2017 not just for customers of one company but for all customers of all the energy companies and all customers," he will say.
Mr Miliband will add: "It is unacceptable that companies like yours do not have even basic protections that are available to households under the law from unfair energy contracts.Mr Miliband will add: "It is unacceptable that companies like yours do not have even basic protections that are available to households under the law from unfair energy contracts.
"The next Labour government would ban the energy companies from rolling small businesses on to more expensive tariffs without their consent. And we will create proper competition enforced by a new regulator to keep prices as low as possible for the years ahead.""The next Labour government would ban the energy companies from rolling small businesses on to more expensive tariffs without their consent. And we will create proper competition enforced by a new regulator to keep prices as low as possible for the years ahead."
'Short-term fixes' 'Anti-business'
But the Conservatives said Labour had "strangled" business by imposing six new regulations for every working day of its time in power.But the Conservatives said Labour had "strangled" business by imposing six new regulations for every working day of its time in power.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Sajid Javid said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan is creating more jobs by backing small business with better infrastructure and lower taxes. That's why this April we're cutting the jobs tax by up to £2,000 and capping business rates. Financial Secretary to the Treasury Sajid Javid said the party was helping small businesses by "cutting the jobs tax by up to £2,000 and capping business rates".
"Since 2010 businesses have already created 1.7 million more jobs - meaning more hard-working people having the security of a regular pay packet so they can provide for their families and plan for their futures. "But Ed Miliband would hit firms with higher taxes and short-term political fixes that would risk jobs and risk investment," he said.
"But Ed Miliband would hit firms with higher taxes and short-term political fixes that would risk jobs and risk investment.
"It's the same old Labour offering no plan to secure Britain's future - just more spending, more borrowing and more taxes, exactly what got us into a mess in the first place. The anti-business Labour Party are the biggest risk to the recovery.""It's the same old Labour offering no plan to secure Britain's future - just more spending, more borrowing and more taxes, exactly what got us into a mess in the first place. The anti-business Labour Party are the biggest risk to the recovery."
Speaking on BBC One's Question Time, UK Independence Party Member of the European Parliament Roger Helmer said that "the old parties have done a brilliant job in deflecting blame from the political leaders" to utility companies for price rises. Speaking on BBC One's Question Time, UKIP MEP Roger Helmer said "the old parties have done a brilliant job in deflecting blame from the political leaders" to utility companies for price rises".
The energy sector has come under great scrutiny in recent months.
Last summer, Mr Miliband used his party conference speech to pledge to freeze energy prices for 20 months if the party wins next year's general election.
But the coalition has warned the plan is unworkable and could even force up tariffs in the meantime.
Both parties this week claimed credit when energy supplier SSE announced it was freezing prices until 2016.