The claim that energy costs are "too high because of Ed Miliband's policies" implies his policies are the primary cause of high energy costs. The evidence consistently shows this is not the case. **Ofgem (official regulator)** attributes the July 2026 price cap rise (13%) to global gas prices and the Middle East conflict. CEO Tim Jarvis stated: "Today's price change reflects continued volatility in global energy markets. This means higher wholesale gas prices, driven by ongoing conflict in the Middle East, is impacting the price we pay for energy." Ofgem's summary document states the outbreak of war in the Middle East in late February was "the primary driver for wholesale market movements over the last three months." **UKERC (independent academic analysis)** found that of the £169 real-terms increase in typical electricity bills between 2021 and 2025, 66% (£112) came from wholesale gas costs, 17% (£28) from network costs, and only 13% (£22) from policy costs. UKERC explicitly states: "Expensive gas still [the] biggest driver of high UK electricity bills." **Policy costs are a small and shrinking share of bills.** The Atlas Institute's analysis of the April-June 2026 price cap shows policy costs account for only ~7% of the bill, while wholesale costs are 42% and network costs are 30%. The government cut policy levies by £130 (from £236 to £106) in April 2026 by scrapping the Energy Company Obligation and shifting Renewables Obligation costs from bills to general taxation. The Resolution Foundation found bills in 2026 were expected to be more than £200 lower in real terms than in 2024. **Regarding Miliband's specific policies** (Clean Power 2030 target, ban on new North Sea drilling licenses, blocking zonal pricing reforms): Energy UK notes that "any increase in gas supply will not have a direct or material impact on energy prices" because UK gas is priced at international market rates — undermining the argument about the North Sea drilling ban. Network cost increases are partly driven by grid expansion for renewables, but Ofgem says these investments will ultimately cut bills relative to the alternative, and much stems from historic underinvestment by previous governments. Much of the policy cost on bills (RO, FiT) was inherited from governments predating Miliband. The dominant driver of high UK energy costs is global wholesale gas prices, not Miliband's policies. While some of his specific decisions may add modest amounts to certain bill components, the evidence indicates the named cause did not produce the effect as claimed. Sources: Ofgem — "Changes to energy price cap between 1 July and 30 September 2026" (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-july-and-30-september-2026); Ofgem — "Energy price cap will rise by 13% from July" (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/energy-price-cap-will-rise-13-july); Ofgem — "Summary of changes to energy price cap 1 July to 30 September 2026" (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-06/Summary-of-changes-to-energy-price-cap-1-July-to-30-September-2026.pdf); UKERC — "Review of Energy Policy 2025" (https://ukerc.ac.uk/publications/review-of-energy-policy-2025/); UKERC — "The Price of Power" discussion paper (https://ukerc9.rl.ac.uk/publications/working_paper/Price-of-Power-Discussion-Paper-Final.pdf); Carbon Brief — "Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC" (https://www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-gas-still-biggest-driver-of-high-uk-electricity-bills-says-ukerc/); BBC News — "Electricity prices: Three reasons why they are high in the UK" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8n5vnmjlzo); BBC News — "Energy bills to rise for millions as impact of Iran war hits" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8pw464986o); BBC News — "Source of Miliband's energy bill pledge casts doubt on savings" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy7gj181k0o); Energy UK — "Briefing: The situation in the Gulf and impact on energy prices" (https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publications/energy-uk-briefing-the-situation-in-the-gulf-and-impact-on-energy-prices/); Resolution Foundation — "Power cut" (https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Power-cut.pdf); Atlas Institute — "Energy Bills as Political Risk" (https://atlasinstitute.org/energy-bills-as-political-risk-unpacking-the-april-june-2026-price-cap-into-the-drivers-that-shape-net-zero-consent/); Carbon Brief — "Q&A: How the UK government aims to break link between gas and electricity prices" (https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-how-the-uk-government-aims-to-break-link-between-gas-and-electricity-prices/)