Yesterday’s King’s Speech set out a positive vision for the UK to become a clean energy superpower, recognising the clear link between our broken energy system and our soaring bills.
The bills announced in this year’s speech show that the government is taking the first steps to ending our over-reliance on gas, putting an end to an energy system where oil and gas companies walk away with massive profits as the rest of us pick up all the costs.
One of the bills announced yesterday was the Great British Energy Bill, which sets up a publicly owned company that will oversee and accelerate investment in green energy, like offshore wind power.
There is huge public support for the transition to homegrown renewable power that will lower energy bills, create jobs, provide more security, and begin to tackle the climate crisis. This is a really positive step towards a fairer energy system, where the benefits of clean energy are shared by all of us.
Labour also brought back and strengthened the Renters Reform Bill, which plans to extend Awaab’s Law and a Decent Homes Standard to private rentals. These plans will help to protect renters from cold, damp, and mouldy homes, and to help them improve the energy efficiency of their homes without fear of eviction.
The government’s moves towards improving energy efficiency and accelerating the rollout of renewable energy as a way to help lower bills are hugely welcome. But it will take time for the effect to be felt by households across the UK, millions of whom are still living in fuel poverty.
With energy bills still significantly higher than they were in 2021, and a predicted rise on the way in October, we need to see action that will help struggling households in the short-term, too. These measures include:
Something else that we didn’t see in the speech was confirmation of Labour’s commitment to ending new North Sea oil and gas licences. We look forward to seeing this legislation in due course.
We would also welcome more detail on the Warm Homes Plan, including timelines and funding, as the promised support for home insulation and other energy efficiency upgrades will be a central component to bringing down energy bills.
We’ve written an open letter to the new government laying out what needs to happen to protect households this winter. You can add your name here.
Warm This Winter spokesperson Fiona Waters said:
“We welcome the news that the government has prioritised lowering energy bills as part of the green energy transition and we will be looking for further measures that will ease the financial burden on bill payers as these bills progress.
“We know six million people in the UK are living in fuel poverty, facing a stark choice between heating and eating. Whilst energy bills fell this month, any benefit will be wiped out by the already baked in price rise in October.
“This government has inherited a broken energy system but we must see urgent action to support struggling households through the next winter, ensuring the most vulnerable households are protected with a more comprehensive warm homes discount and action to bring down energy debt.
“The only way to reduce bills in the long term is through a rapid roll out of renewable energy and insulation to reduce our reliance on volatile oil and gas, protect consumers from price shocks and offer jobs for local communities and the King's Speech is a good start.”
