Price cap news shocking says EUA CEO

Mike Foster CEO of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, says: “The scale of the energy price cap increase is shocking. Millions more households will now be thrown into fuel poverty, through no fault of their own. It is the duty of Government, of any political persuasion, to protect its citizens against global economic shocks like this. But in this duty, this Government has failed.

“The proposed loan to energy companies to keep bills £200 lower now, but to be paid back later, is a cheap stunt. Consumers will still be paying huge sums, if not now, later. The misery of high bills will now drag on for years.

“The Government could have cut VAT, saving £100 a year; increased Winter Fuel Payments; increased the Warm Homes Discount but it looks like they have chosen not to. So the burden of high energy bills will fall on the least well off. This is not levelling up.

“The Government has run out of cash, that is clear. It won’t hit those who profit from high energy bills, allowing hard-working families, pensioners and the vulnerable to take the hit instead.

“We now need a firm commitment from the Government to wean us off natural gas and onto hydrogen, which we can produce ourselves, and convert our world-class gas network to run on hydrogen. That way, Putin will not hold us hostage, with his fingers turning the gas taps off, jacking up prices and forcing UK households to choose between heating and eating.”