In February 2022, energy regulator Ofgem ( Office of gas and electricity markets) announced it would be raising the cap on the prices that energy companies are allowed to charge customers by 54% from April 2022. That means 87% of properties in the UK will face an energy bill of £1,971 annually. It's £ 693 higher than last year. 

      At the same time the main six energy suppliers in the UK known as the “Big Six”, the companies including EDF Energy, E.ON UK, and British Gas’s parent company Centrica, announced that earned record  profits of £3.06billion, according to their most recent accounts.

      The current energy bill crisis is caused by a global gas price surge, but it’s hitting the UK particularly hard because we rely on gas. Successive governments have failed to take the action needed to end the UK’s fossil fuel dependence, and now we’ll all have to pay the price through eye-watering bills. Drilling for more gas in the UK won’t help bring down our bills, because it’ll be extracted by private companies and sold at global prices. This is happening already, with oil and gas giants making record profits on fossil fuels. More gas isn’t the solution. Instead, the government must insulate the nation’s homes to reduce our need for expensive and polluting gas, and invest in clean and cheap renewables

The rise in energy prices is disproportionately hitting the poorest households and the impact on them will be devastating. More people will have to choose between paying for basics like food or keeping their homes warm. The next wave of price rises threatens to push 2 million more households into fuel poverty. This is not right. Rising energy bills will also exacerbate existing health inequalities. Warm homes are healthier homes, particularly in the winter, and especially if you’re older or already unwell. Urgent support is needed to protect those most at risk.

     I am calling on the government to introduce a windfall tax and use the profits to help make energy bills more affordable for those struggling, and improve the energy efficiency of UK homes.       I am calling on Boris Johnson to keep his promise that after Brexit has bills will be cheaper. 

    Now’s the time for the government to stop our overreliance on volatile gas markets by investing in renewable energy sources and efficient homes. The pay-off will be healthier, warmer homes and lower bills.

   If we get this right, and we can, everyone will have access to a warm home that can be affordably heated, without heating the planet.