Energy bosses now more unpopular than bankers and politicians
Energy companies are now more unpopular than bankers and even politicians, according to a new poll on the political impact of recent price rises.
Seventy per cent of the public have an unfavourable view of energy firms, with just five per cent still having a favourable view, pollsters Comres found.
The recent controversy over price hikes by energy firms appears to have had an impact on consumers.
Sixty-five per cent said they felt they were being ripped off by energy firms and three quarters said they no longer trusted the "big six" energy firms. Less than one in ten disagreed.
Ed Miliband's pledge to freeze energy bills was welcomed by 60% of those polled, but just under half said they would prefer Conservative proposals to cut so-called "green taxes" on bills instead.
It is unclear whether government calls for people to switch energy providers have got through to consumers either. Comres found that just 16% of households had changed energy providers in the past three months.
The poll found that politicians are now viewed almost as unfavourably as energy firms with 68% having a negative impression.
Forty-five per cent said the same of banks. Journalists also appear to have been hit by recent scandals, with half the population now having an unfavourable view.
The poll also contains some bad news for George Osborne. Just under half of those polled believe the government does not have control of the economy, with 64% saying they appear more concerned with protecting banks than the public.
Sixty per cent also agreed that the government should consider scaling back spending cuts if the economy doesn't pick up soon.
