The Energy Ministry said this evening that it was glad that the Opposition was now admitting that reductions in the power and water tariffs as promised before the general election were possible and not a gimmick, as the PN had always claimed.

However the ministry said it could not understand how the Opposition was now claiming credit for the reductions, claiming that the cuts were the result of the inter-connector and the power station that used heavy fuel oil.

The fact was that the savings from those two facilities were not enough to cover the tariff cuts, the ministry said.

It said the PN was continuing to show how it lacked an energy plan. Under the PN, Enemalta's debts had soared to €840 million and tariffs would have risen again had the PN been re-elected.

It was only thanks to the gas power station project that tariffs were being reduced - for residential and domestic users next year and commercial users in 2015.  The tariff cuts next year, while the gas power station was built, would be funded by the selected consortium.

The ministry said the tariff reductions showed how the government kept its promises.