Ed Balls says he will seek to run a budget surplus in the next parliament if Labour wins the next election as it would be the "right thing to do".

The shadow chancellor said a surplus would be an aspiration but he could not promise that it would happen before 2020 because it depended on the health of the economy.

George Osborne, the chancellor, told the Conservative party conference in October that he planned to run an overall budget surplus by 2020 – a move that would put further pressure on welfare spending beyond the cuts already announced until 2017.

Osborne said he would rewrite his fiscal mandate so that the Tories achieved an absolute surplus in the next parliament, provided the recovery was sustained. Balls's decision to echo that move brings Labour's economic plan closer in line with the continuing programme of cuts to public spending planned by the Tories.

Asked whether Labour also wanted to run a surplus in the next parliament, Balls told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Yes. Tempting as it is though, I'm not going to say to you today, before we know where we're going to be, at what point we would do that.

"And I have said to the Office for Budget Responsibility that I want them to audit independently every Labour spending proposal – it's going to be tough under the next Labour government. We're going to have to finish the job that George Osborne's not managed to do." He added: "It all depends on what happens to growth in the economy, of course."

The shadow chancellor said more details about how Labour intends to balance the budget would be set out in the party's 2015 manifesto.

"We will set out how we will get the national debt falling and get the budget back into balance – into surplus would be the right thing to do. When we could do that depends upon the economy. George [Osborne] was saying he would do that in 2015; he's now had to delay that back to 2020 so I can't say to you when we can do that yet.

"What we have done, though, is in 15/16, we'll match their current spending plans – no more borrowing for current spending under Labour; there'll be spending cuts, there'll be tough decisions."

Balls's remarks came ahead of this week's autumn statement and growth forecasts, which are expected to show the economy improving.

Balls said it was "of course good that finally we're seeing some growth, from a very, very low base" but that most people in the country are not enjoying the recovery because living standards are falling.

"If George boasts about a recovery, which may be there for people in the City, but for most people is not there, I fear that will make him look even more out of touch," he said.

In the autumn statement, the government will also set out more details of a £50 cut in green levies that push up gas and electricity bills, as well as a £1,000 grant for new home buyers to help insulate their properties.

However, Balls dismissed the cut in bills as a gimmick because the public will still stump up for this amount through general taxation. He also pointed out that energy bills will be going up by £100 this winter and called on the government to promise a price freeze like Labour.

"Shifting [the cost of a green levy] from bills to taxes is taking with one hand to give with the other. People still pay more bills. Is there a price freeze? No. Are the energy companies paying? No. Is George Osborne failing the test? He's got four days to go, maybe he'll sort it out," the shadow chancellor said.

Speaking on the same show, Osborne said he could not yet promise that the energy companies would pass on a £50 cut in green levies to consumers but he was "pretty clear" it was going to happen.

"What we're going to do is roll back the levies that are placed by government on people's electricity bills. This will mean that for the average bill payer they will have £50 off those electricity and gas bills and it will help families. And we're doing it the way that government can do it, which is controlling the cost families occur because of government policies," he said.

"And by the way we're also doing it in a way that's not going to damage the environment or in any way reduce our commitment to dealing with climate change. Nor are we going to reduce our commitment to helping low income families with their cost of living and energy bills."

The chancellor also appeared to make an effort to talk about tackling climate change and going green, following criticism that the treasury was leading the attack on environmental subsidies for renewable technologies.

Speaking about the new £1,000 energy efficiency grant for homebuyers, he said: "Why not give people, in this case, £1,000 when you get a new home, to make your homes more energy efficient. That goes with the grain of human nature and I think it's exactly the right approach to these issues. It's all about providing people with carrots not sticks."