Major update over social energy tariff ahead of Ofgem price cap rise

The government is under increasing pressure to bring in energy bill support for customers and households affected by the price cap change from Ofgem. The new Labour Party government faces pressure over bills rising AGAIN in January - by £21.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty warned: “As the temperatures plummet, a fourth winter of the energy bills crisis looms large in people’s minds. The decision to introduce a price cap change in the middle of winter was taken by Ofgem in 2022 and was described as an inhumane policy at the time. No wonder it has been opposed by campaigners ever since as households will have to find more money to keep themselves warm at the worst possible time.

“To make matters worse, the new Government has cut back the levels of support available to some of the most at risk households.” He added: “While we welcome the Government’s long term plans to boost home energy efficiency to bring down bills and to improve energy security by stabilising prices, these reforms will take time to take effect and will be no comfort to those struggling this winter.

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“That’s why it is so vital the ministers bring in more support for vulnerable households this winter and speed up plans to bring in a social tariff for next winter - a move that is backed by the vast majority of voters.”

Warm This Winter spokesperson Caroline Simpson said: “It’s freezing this week and now we have another price cap rise which is devastating to the 6.5 million in fuel poverty and all of us who will be paying 66 percent more on energy than we did before the start of the energy crisis.

“We desperately need to get on with the job of ramping up our supply of homegrown, renewable energy, which is abundantly available to us on this windy island and a properly funded programme of insulation and ventilation to upgrade our leaky homes.

“Homegrown renewables are the only way we will cut our bills for good but whilst that kicks in we also need commitment from the government that vulnerable households will be supported with their energy bills this winter and next with a social tariff funded by the energy sector's vast profits. In this day and age, nobody should be afraid to turn on the heating because they can't afford to pay for it.”