Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, welcomes the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and her decisive action to help households and businesses with their energy bills this winter.
Prime Minister Liz Truss has revealed a comprehensive energy plan which will give people certainty with their bills this winter.
The Energy Price Guarantee will ensure that a typical household pays no more than an average of £2,500 a year on their energy bill for 2 years starting 1st October 2022. The consumer saving will be based on usage, but a typical household will pay £1,000 less than the projected price rises if the Energy Price Guarantee had not been introduced. This includes the temporary suspension of green levies which have previously costed households around £150 a year.
In addition to the Energy Price Guarantee, every household will receive £400 in energy bill support this winter. The most vulnerable households, who are in receipt of qualifying benefits, will receive up to £1,200 in energy bill support. There’s no need to apply for this support as it will be granted automatically.
The Government is ensuring that businesses will be offered an equivalent guarantee for six months for those hit by rising prices. After six months, the Government will provide further support for vulnerable sectors, such as hospitality, including our local pubs.
The Government is also acting to decouple the price of renewable energy from the price of gas. The Prime Minister announced that the Government will be expanding ‘Contracts for Difference’ (CfDs) to existing renewable energy generators. An Energy Supply Taskforce, inspired by the successful Vaccine Taskforce, will negotiate long-term contracts with national and international suppliers to reduce prices.
To ensure the UK’s energy independence, the Government will launch a new round of oil and gas licencing in the North Sea, end the moratorium on fracking (where there is local support), launch Great British Nuclear later this month, and hold a review of our target of Net Zero by 2050 to ensure that our transition towards green energy is pro-business and pro-growth.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I am very pleased for my constituents that the new Prime Minister has taken such decisive action, so quickly, to address their serious concerns about energy price rises this winter.
The new Government is doing everything in its power to provide as much support as possible. These measures provide certainty and will make incomes go further for households across the nation.”
