Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, responding to the provisional decision of the Competition and Markets Authority to clear the merger between energy supply giants SSE and Npower, said:

“This provisional decision to allow SSE and Npower to merge is concerning and comes at a time when the big energy companies are not meeting the needs of the public.

“This year, while the Government dithers over introducing a price cap, SSE and Npower have hiked their averages bills by £76 and £64 respectively while SSE’s chief executive has enjoyed a 72% pay rise.

“Given that both of these companies already struggle to provide good customer service, job losses in customer care as well as other departments must be avoided at all costs. Maintaining existing jobs and investing in new jobs in energy supply should be a priority.”