Stephen Morgan has made five demands of the government to lower people’s energy bills now and in the future.
The Portsmouth South MP has made the demands of the new Energy Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, ahead of an expected announcement by the new Conservative administration tomorrow (8 September).
1.Freeze Energy Bills this winter and make oil and gas giants pay
Government must support a freeze in energy bills this winter, funding this package through a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants making unexpected and unearned profits at the expense of the British people, rather than putting the bill on the British people with a decade of higher energy bills.
2.Embark on a clean energy sprint
Government must deliver a clean energy sprint for cheap, clean, home-grown power that can cut bills for good, including overturning the effective bans on onshore wind and blocking of solar power.
3.Deliver energy efficient, warm homes to cut energy bills in the long term
Government must address the chronic failures of successive energy efficiency schemes and commit to a national Warm Homes Plan that could cut energy bills for 19 million families across the UK.
4.Rule out the return of fracking
Government must rule out dangerous and expensive fracking, which, as the former Business Secretary and current Chancellor has acknowledged, would make no impact on European gas prices “any time soon.”
5.De-link energy and gas prices for cheaper bills long-term
Government must adopt Labour’s proposal to reform the energy market to delink electricity and gas prices, thereby bringing down long term bills for the British public.
Liz Truss has said that a windfall tax is ‘a Labour idea’, meaning the expected £150bn cost of her plan would have to be borne by working people.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“People in Portsmouth and across the country are rightly worried sick about how they will pay their energy bills this winter.
“But who will pay for the solution? Liz Truss has ruled out Labour’s proposed windfall tax, and so it will be working people in our City who will foot the bill.
“This is Liz Truss’ first big test as Prime Minister, but instead of siding with families up and down the country, it looks as though she will protect the eye-watering profits of energy companies instead.
“12 years of failed Conservative energy policy has made our country vulnerable, only Labour can deliver the fresh start Britain needs.”
