Solar systems designer and supplier Solarcentury has called for full exposure of subsidies to the energy sector.
It said many of the pricing support mechanisms to renewable energy were transparent and added: 'Critics describe them as subsidies. This is true. But it's also true that all energy sources like fossil fuels and nuclear energy are being subsidised.'

Solarcentury CEO Frans van den Heuvel said: 'We receive subsidies at a level that drives growth and improvement and thus, our prices go down. Renewable subsidies do what they are meant to.

'The rest of the industry is heavy subsidised and yet prices go up dramatically. We want to know who is getting what and for there to be clear accountability.'

According to Solarcentury, the International Energy Agency reported that global subsidies to fossil fuels were six times higher than subsidies to renewables in 2010.

Solarcentury chairman Dr. Jeremy Leggett concluded: 'The Chancellor announced brand new subsidies for gas recently, without giving details. Naturally, we fear that enormous subsidies have been promised privately to sweeten his efforts to turn the UK into a 'gas hub', skewing energy markets still further away from renewables.'