In the week after British Gas threatened a £130 increase to energy bills. E.On has promised not to raise residential energy prices for its 4.8 million domestic customers for the remainder of 2012.

E.On is the only 'big six' supplier to commit to not raising prices this year though SSE and EDF have promised respite until autumn: Tom Lyon, energy expert at uSwitch.com, said: “There is some uncertainty over prices and consumers will be worried about what this might mean for their bills. While SSE has moved to reassure its customers they will be protected from higher prices at least until the autumn, E.On has gone one step further by promising a price freeze throughout 2012. This is good news for its five million domestic customers."

Tony Cocker, chief executive of E.On UK, said: "Let me be clear, E.On will not raise residential prices in 2012. Unfortunately global energy markets are expected to see an overall trend of rising wholesale prices, but as a company we believe in acting fairly, which means cutting prices when we can and never raising prices unless absolutely necessary,’ he explained. "I want families to have certainty and know E.On will always be fair."

"This announcement comes after we revealed we made less than 2% profit supplying gas and electricity to UK homes in 2011 and further demonstrates our commitment to be fair and transparent.”

Fair and transparent, or just a little something to retain customers and cushion the blow of 2013 prices?

Elinore Mackay

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In last week's e-newsletter we covered a new report from The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), claiming parts of Britain are in danger of becoming overrun by wind farms because of a huge increase in the number under construction.

The piece can be read here, along with some of the comments we received.

Following on from last week's newsletter,  the government claimed on Monday each wind turbine of the type causing controversy on the Somerset Levels could be worth £200,000 to local communities.

A BiGGAR Economics study of 18 wind farms across the country showed communities benefitted from onshore wind turbines to the tune of £84 million in 2011, with 1,100 local jobs supported by the sector. One in three local jobs were in operating and maintaining the turbines, providing long term employment.

However, the report – published by RenewableUK and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) – also found while the majority of the money generated during the development and operating phases of onshore wind farms stays in the UK, more than half of construction spend goes abroad, highlighting the value of developing a home-grown supply chain.

Ed Davey, energy secretary, said: "Our policies of increasing community involvement will also help ensure the right balance between developers and community interests. With the cost of the technology coming down, there is a real opportunity to reap the economic benefits onshore wind can bring."

The debate continues.

An unaffordable luxury?

Back in December I warned the two German owned members of the Big Six would pull out of the running to build any new nuclear fission power stations in Britain. And so it has come to pass. Both RWE and Eon have admitted their two ‘Horizon’ projects will not proceed.

Our grumpy old man is being really rather positive this month. What has inspired this unusual turn of temperament? Well, when in February he called for someone to produce figures to justify the retention of Part P, someone did just that!