1st
Sep 2022
A politician is pushing to ‘switch’ the model of the series of bans of private rented sector evictions throughout the pandemic over to a ban on energy disconnections during this autumn and winter.
Julie Gibson, Labour’s spokesperson on economic development on Lancashire County Council, says: “What we really need is a moratorium on the threat of disconnection, with assurances given to those struggling that they will not be ‘cut off’ for the duration of the energy crisis. During Covid we saw a moratorium on evictions for those struggling to pay their rent. Surely it is not beyond us as a society to show similar compassion to those struggling with rising energy prices.”
The average household energy bill is predicted to be as high as £3,582 a year this October in line with new price cap and even higher in January’s next energy price cap of £4,266.
Gibson, quoted in the Blackpool Gazette, continues: “We have seen many examples of people cutting back and, in some cases, selling possessions so they have enough money to pay their energy bills.
“If the reported increases do come into force many people will experience terrible fuel poverty with the additional worry that if they cannot afford to pay their bills, they may face their supply being disconnected.
“We need action to deal with the energy price cap but so far, we have seen little, or no, action from the government.“
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, whom many expect will become the next Chancellor if Liz Truss is voted in as Prime Minister, has stated that households will be helped this winter with the never ending cost of living rises.
In a recent Daily Mail article he gave just a few details but did say the introduction of an embargo on green levies and a reversal of the National Insurance hike are a few ideas that could ‘floated’.
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