THE energy market just isn’t working for families and businesses in Inverclyde.

Energy bills have risen by almost £300 since the coalition government came to power, and businesses say energy is the biggest cost they face. When wholesale energy prices go up, bills go up fast, but when they fall, bills stay high.

We need change, but this government has shown they will not stand up to the Big Six energy firms and instead, has chosen to stand by and watch energy bills soar.

Since 2010, energy bills in Britain have risen twice as fast as inflation, four times faster than wages and faster than in almost any other country in the developed world. Families and businesses can’t afford another five years of this.

That is why Labour will act to get gas and electricity bills down and fix the broken energy market. This is great news for people across Inverclyde.

Labour will freeze your energy bills up to January 2017, saving a typical household £120 and an average business £1,800.

We will fix the broken energy market by increasing competition and transparency so that it works for consumers. And we will abolish Ofgem, which has failed to stand up for consumers, and replace it from January 2017 with a tough new energy watchdog. The new regulator will have the power and remit to force energy companies to cut their prices when there is evidence of overcharging, for example when wholesale costs fall and the market fails to respond.

Labour debated our proposals to freeze energy prices and reform the energy market in parliament earlier this year however our motion was not supported by the government or the SNP.

There is little comfort for those who are struggling to pay their energy bills this winter. However, I can promise that if a Labour government is elected next year, we will have a reformed, cheaper and fairer market next year.