UK households face their energy bill rising ABOVE the new price cap in a “soul destroying” blow. Energy bills rising again could be “soul destroying” for vulnerable people, with reports the price cap for British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers could be hiked from £1,738 in January, to an estimated £1,784.91 in April – a £46 hike.
Caroline Simpson, a spokesperson for Warm this Winter, said: “UK bill payers are at their wits end spending over £700 more on energy than they did before the energy crisis, while just 20 companies have made £483bn in profits since it started three years ago. The idea that more increases could be on the way is just soul destroying.”
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “As households continue to suffer as a result of our dependence on volatile gas prices, the to-do list for the government in 2025 gets even longer. Ministers must set out plans to tackle affordability and discrimination in the energy market.”
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“At the same time, ministers must deliver longer-term market reforms that prioritise consumers and not energy firms, while also delivering on the funding necessary to provide energy efficiency programmes that target the fuel poor and ‘worst first’ for insulation and retrofits,” Francis said.
“But 2025 will need to see this momentum continue and much more done by the government to bring down the cost of energy bills for good. The government also needs to ensure that those suffering now are not abandoned. This means more support for households through a social tariff in time for next winter,” Simpson said.
Peter Smith, the National Energy Action director, added: “The energy crisis is not going away. The government needs to make energy more affordable for the most vulnerable households, possibly through an expanded warm home discount, or a new energy social tariff. To combat the rising tide of debt, vulnerable customers will need a help-to-repay scheme that accelerates how quickly money is paid back or writes it off entirely.
“However, we know the best way to reduce fuel poverty and make energy bills more affordable in the long term is to invest heavily in energy efficiency. The UK government’s Warm Homes Plan must be primarily aimed at those most in need. The full amount of energy efficiency investment promised in the Labour Party ’s manifesto is needed if we are to meet legal fuel poverty goals by the end of this decade.”