Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Reducing Industrial Electricity Prices

Tuesday 29 April 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers attribute the high industrial electricity prices to the UK's reliance on natural gas for power generation.
  • The Government aims to secure long-term electricity bills by delivering clean power by 2030.
  • Since the Labour Government's election, there has been 43 billion of private investment in clean energy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Wild Con North West Norfolk
Economy Climate Energy
Context

INEOS’s chief executive warned that Labour's carbon taxes and levies threaten UK manufacturing, making the country more reliant on imports.

Question

Growing the economy will need cheaper energy, but INEOS’s chief executive has warned that Labour’s crippling carbon taxes and other levies threaten UK manufacturing and make us more reliant on imports. When will Ministers start listening and realise that their dogma-driven energy policy is costing jobs and investment, and when will they actually act to make our electricity prices more competitive?

Answer from Sarah Jones (Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The main driver of the price disparity is the wholesale electricity cost, which is driven by the UK’s reliance on natural gas. The best way to secure bills for the long term is to deliver clean power by 2030, and that is what we are doing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not address the specific ask about changing energy policy or addressing carbon taxes and levies.

How: Changing Subject, Repeating Talking Point

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Q2 Tom Hayes Lab Bournemouth East
Economy Energy Business & Trade
Context

There is a need to transition towards clean energy and control our electricity costs.

Question

Green jobs are great jobs, and I welcome the £43 billion of private investment in clean energy since the election of this Labour Government. In order to bring down our industrial energy prices further, what steps will the Government take to get us on to clean energy that we control and off the fossil fuels that are in the control of dictators?

Answer from Sarah Jones (Minister of State, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In the industrial strategy, clean energy is one of the growth-driving sectors where we have seen 10% growth in the economy. We are also seeing hundreds of thousands of jobs, which the Conservatives now seem determined to oppose. We will introduce the clean energy of the future, and that is why we are pushing for clean energy by 2030.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The minister did not provide specific steps or commitments on reducing industrial electricity prices.

How: Repeating Talking Point

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