Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has rejected claims that households in southern England would face higher electricity bills under proposed reforms to the energy market. The controversy follows a report suggesting the government is considering zonal pricing, which would divide the UK into regional electricity markets rather than maintaining a single national system.
Supporters argue that zonal pricing could lower overall bills by reducing costly grid upgrades, while critics warn it could create a “postcode lottery” and discourage investment in renewable energy. However, Miliband dismissed the idea that he would impose higher costs on any region, calling the report “copper-bottomed nonsense.”
“No decision has been made on this issue,” Miliband stated. “This is an incredibly complex question about reforming our energy market. My bottom line is that bills must fall across the country I’m not about to introduce a postcode lottery.”
While he did not rule out zonal pricing entirely, he emphasized that any reform must ensure fairness. “It’s already the case that different parts of the country pay different amounts, but I don’t want to make that worse or unfairly increase bills in one region over another,” he added.
The debate comes as the government announced a £300 million investment in offshore wind supply chains, aiming to boost clean energy jobs and attract billions in private investment.
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