Domestic energy assessors
could advise customers energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband has met power and gas companies to try to secure fairer prices for consumers.

The minister met with the big six energy companies ahead of a December deadline for them to take voluntary steps to make costing fairer.

In particular the companies are expected to improve the terms for pre-payment meter customers.

Mr Miliband, meeting the companies for the second time in a month, is said to have threatened the companies with legal action if they failed to act.

A spokesperson for the minister said: "The government and the industry agreed on the need to bring down retail gas and electricity prices.

"The meeting also recognised the significant investment needs of the industry and the extreme volatility we have seen in energy prices in the last 12 months."

Even if costs of gas and electricity do go down, consumers can still make further savings by installing insulation, double glazing and other measures domestic energy assessors can recommend.