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divdiv class=story-body readability=35 span class=story-date#13; span class=date7 November 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time20:21 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; !-- Embedding the video player --#13;!-- This is the embedded player component --#13;#13;#13; #13; #13;#13;#13;#13;!-- wwrights check --#13;!-- Empty country is used on test environment --#13;#13;#13;#13;div class=videoInStoryB readability=1#13; div id=emp-24862634-32008 class=emp#13; #13; #13; noscript#13; div class=warning readability=1#13; img class=holding src=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70985000/jpg/_70985862_70985777.jpg alt=Paul Massara/pstrongPlease turn on JavaScript./strong Media requires JavaScript to play./p#13; /div#13; /noscript#13; #13; !-- embedding script --#13; #13; /div#13; !-- companion banner -- #13; #13; #13; #13; !-- END - companion banner --!-- caption --p class=captionPaul Massara: My bonus is linked to my performance/p#13; !-- END - caption --#13; #13; #13;#13;/div#13;!-- end of the embedded player component --#13;#13;!-- Player embedded -- #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1The chief executive of Npower, Paul Massara, has dismissed giving up a bonus in response to anger over rising energy prices as a gimmick./p#13; pIn an interview with the BBC's Hardtalk, Mr Massara also warned of future power cuts unless there is a stable environment for investment./p#13; pHe said he earned around £600,000 a year, which includes a £150,000 bonus./p#13; pOn Monday Centrica boss Sam Laidlaw pledged to decline a bonus this year to help restore trust in energy companies./p#13; pWhen asked whether he would match Mr Laidlaw's pledge, Mr Massara said: I think the issue is, are we doing absolutely everything we can to keep costs down and to make sure it's affordable? /p#13; pGimmicks of saying 'I'm going to reduce my bonus' - If Sam was earning five million a year and he's willing to give a million, good for him./p#13; pMy bonus is linked to my performance, is linked to getting it right for customers, is linked to employee satisfaction. All of my team are linked to that. If we don't deliver on that, we don't get a bonus. /p#13; pHe said he thought the lights would stay on this year, but warned: The amount of spare capacity to meet the peak requirement... has dropped from somewhere around 15% to five./p#13; span class=cross-headRebuild trust /span#13; pThat is extremely low by historical levels... and unless the UK can create a politically stable environment to attract new capital, that new capital will not come in. /p#13; pOn Monday Mr Laidlaw said the energy sector needed to urgently rebuild consumers' trust and to help do that he would not take a bonus this year. /p#13; pJust to continue in this world where households are under pressure, and assume it is business as normal, is not the way thoughtful remuneration committees think about it, he said./p#13; pRecent increases of around 9% have caused anger and last month the Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee summoned energy bosses to explain the steep rise in prices./p#13; pIn September Labour leader Ed Miliband promised to to freeze energy bills for 20 months if he is successful in the 2015 election./p#13; pEnergy companies complain that government policy is to blame for higher energy prices in particular green fees which are added to bills./p#13; pCurrently 6% of a gas bill and 11% of an electricity bill go to government schemes aimed at saving energy, reducing emissions and tackling climate change./p#13; pMr Massara told Hardtalk: The more the government creates uncertainty with things like price freezes or other changes, it means there's less certainty and less likely for capital investment. /p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center