HC Deb 04 July 1977 vol 934 cc389-90W
13. Sir David Renton

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, in the light of the fact that fuel cost adjustments of electricity charges are frequently made monthly, whether he will give a direction in the national interest that such fuel cost additions should not be made more often than quarterly.

Mr. Eadie

Fuel cost adjustments affecting domestic consumers are already made quarterly. It is only monthly-billed tariffs, which apply to the larger industrial and commercial customers, which include fuel cost adjustment reflecting monthly fuel costs; and they have done so for many years. The electricity supply industry, which has statutory responsibility for tariffs, does not believe it would be in the interest of either its customers or itself to change this.