Labour leader Ed Miliband has criticised the Britain's second biggest energy firm, SSE after it said that the energy prices will rise 8.2 per cent for its 7.3million customers.

According to estimates, the increase will result in annual bills rising to £1,500, which might put pressure on households across the country. Customers are also already paying an average of £111 a year in energy bills at present. Energy and business minister Michael Fallon has also criticised the company and advised the customers to move to a cheaper alternative energy distributor.

SSE has responded by blaming the government for rising tariffs due to its green taxes and associated measures. It said that the government must focus on cost of subsidising green energy including building wind farms and not on bills to general taxation. The SSE price rise comes into effect on November 15 putting addition pressure on the customers.

Miliband defended his promise to impose a 20-month freeze on energy prices if he is elected in 2015. However, some say that he was a supporter of the green taxes when he was Energy Secretary in the previous Labour government.