We all deserve to be warm in our own home, but right now soaring energy bills mean that many millions of people will struggle to pay their energy bill. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Caroline Lucas MP is hosting a debate on Fossil Fuels and Increases in the Cost of Living in Parliament at Westminster Hall on the 11th of January from 9.30am to 11am. It's a great opportunity for us to show MPs why fixing the cost of living crisis means taking the leap away from fossil fuels - and why it needs to happen now. But first, we need to get MPs in the hall.
The energy crisis has left 7 million UK households in fuel poverty this winter. This comes after oil and gas giants, like Shell and BP, announced record-breaking profits. No more.
This government's failure to fix the UK's broken energy system is impacting millions of people's lives, particularly those who are elderly, disabled or have a medical condition.
It’s wrong that people in this country are forced to ride buses or visit public spaces just to keep warm – while, at the same time, oil and gas companies make vast profits.
We all deserve to be warm in our own home, but right now soaring energy bills mean that many millions of people will be unable to heat their homes. It doesn’t have to be this way.
The UK has the means to solve the energy price crisis – but it will take action from the government. We’re demanding the UK government helps those people who need it now and fixes the UK’s broken energy system for good. Here's what we're demanding:
You were elected to government with an enormous majority on the promise of change. You have a real opportunity - and responsibility - to deliver it. We’re encouraged to see that you’ve already stuck by your promise to end the ban on new onshore wind in England. But there’s still much more to do to make our energy system fairer and protect households this winter.
For too long, our broken energy system has prioritised oil and gas company profits and left millions of people living in cold, damp, mouldy homes, forced to make a stark choice between heating our homes and eating.
Millions of people are still living in fuel poverty. Whilst energy bills fell in the summer, we all know the benefits will be wiped out when they rise again in October. At a time of soaring energy debt, many of us simply cannot afford another winter of the same old system.
In your manifesto, you promised urgently needed change: to lower energy bills, insulate homes and invest in homegrown clean energy while getting us off oil and gas. Now, you must take urgent action to support struggling households through the coming winter.
We urge you to stick to the promises you made and deliver on them for communities all across the UK by: protecting vulnerable households, launching a Help to Repay energy debt scheme, expanding renewables, banning forced prepayment meters and ensuring smart meters work for all who want them, ramping up insulation programmes, reforming standing charges and ending energy industry profiteering.
There are simple and immediate ways you can begin to deliver on your commitments, and make things fairer for households, including:
- Launching the Warm Homes Plan
- Introducing a more comprehensive Warm Homes Discount this winter
- Protecting us from soaring energy prices by getting off oil and gas for good
We voted for bold solutions to the energy crisis.
As the UK government, you have a once in a generation opportunity to show that you will bring meaningful change to fix our broken energy system for good.
