Bring energy back into public’s hands
I AM writing in order to highlight the government’s poor response to the cost of living crisis that is leaving older people in particular having to choose between eating and heating their homes in the coldest months of the year.
From April it will cost up to £700 more to heat the average home, and by October it will rise again by a further £300.
With OFGEM now saying they will review gas prices every three months this price hike may even be sooner than October.
Experts have forecast these price increases are likely to continue over the next three years.
All the government is doing is handing out a loan of £200 that will be paid back over the next five years, and giving a council tax rebate of £150, that will not be paid to those who live in properties rated E and above.
The arrangements are less clear for the 25% of households who do not pay their council tax by direct debit, or to renters or sharers whose bills are included.
The government’s £150m to local authorities for discretionary payments to poorer families is a pittance when you consider those defined as being in fuel poverty will now increase to six million households.
The extra burden of inflation and the extreme hike in fuel costs will put what is already the poorest state pension in the industrial world under severe pressure.
The government has betrayed pensioners by axing their manifesto promise to keep the state pensions triple lock for the length of parliament.
In doing so, it has in one fell swoop consigned pensioners to a pension cut even before it comes into place in April 2022.
Before the crisis, older people were already making critical decisions on whether to heat their homes or cook hot food.
Rishi Sunak’s ‘support’ puts us in debt to the tune of £200 without even asking us.
This package is too little too late and will push more pensioners into poverty.
In what is still the fifth richest country in the world, the package is ill conceived, and will certainly not give older people the comfort of knowing they will not go cold or hungry this winter.
Over the last 10 years £120 billion was paid out in profits to Britishbased fuel companies.
This clearly demonstrates the folly of privatisation.
It is time to bring energy back into public ownership so that the money handed out in profits can be used instead to ensure low cost fuel to help pensioners and consumers generally.
Roger Bannister Merseyside Pensioners Association