Video: Ed Miliband's energy price freeze 'economic suicide' At the Labour Party annual conference, Mr Miliband pledged that one of his first acts in office would be to pass emergency legislation, stopping energy companies from increasing domestic prices until 2017. The Telegraph's consumer affairs editor, Steve Hawkes, says that the promise, designed to persuade voters that only Labour can restore living standards, is "a political astute move but economic suicide." Prices are likely to go up off the back of this because people know we are in a crisis situation. Energy suppliers won't be able to raise their prices in 2015 and 2017 which means energy prices are almost certain to go up before 2015. Steve said a "huge" increase on May 1 2017 would be likely, as energy companies try and make up for the period when prices were fixed. [Energy Companies] have a very real worry that they will not be able to pay for their business, that they will not be able to invest in new infrastructure. This means a very real risk of blackouts.