"The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing," the head of the Church of England said.
"I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it."
The Archbishop asked firms to be "conscious of their social obligations” and "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".
He added: "They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it.
“With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society.
"It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don't want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit.”
"The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed."
The comments come following a heated political debate over energy, in which Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged a 20 month price freeze should his party win power at the next election.
telegraph
The Archbishop said the major energy companies had a moral obligation as well as an obligation to their shareholders.The remarks were made in an interview to the Mail On Sunday, after British Gas followed SSE in announcing a 9.2 per cent price hike.Mr Welby, himself a former oil executive, said he understood why the public were so angry over the increases."The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing," the head of the Church of England said."I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it."The Archbishop asked firms to be "conscious of their social obligations” and "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".He added: "They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it.“With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society."It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don't want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit.”"The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed."The comments come following a heated political debate over energy, in which Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged a 20 month price freeze should his party win power at the next election.
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