The Energy Secretary has announced initiatives to try and bring down energy bills, boost green jobs and ban fracking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.
On the day that the average energy bill rose by 2.21% year-on-year rise (now 68% or £713 a year higher than in the winter of 2020-21), Government ministers have pointed to the work to deliver more renewables and “in the coming weeks” an announcement on the biggest home upgrade programme in British history.
A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“The Government is right to fight for homegrown, clean energy. The North Sea is running dry – even with new fields, the UK won’t produce enough gas to heat our homes by 2027. What’s more, fracking is unsafe, unpopular and unable to meaningfully reduce energy bills.
“So ramping up clean power is the only way to bring our bills down in the long term while providing a secure energy future.
“But as we approach a fifth winter of the energy bills crisis, households are struggling to cope with bills which remain hundreds of pounds a year above where they were in winter 2020/21 and energy debt is now at record levels. Meanwhile, new analysis from the Common Wealth think tank suggests that around 24% of every household energy bill is taken as profit by the energy industry.
“This is why we need action to provide more support to those who need it the most alongside improved energy efficiency and lower bills for households now.”