It’s Time to Make Energy Affordable for All

The recent rise in the energy price cap will be worrying many families across West Berkshire. 

Even with Ofgem’s changes to how typical consumption is calculated, households using the same amount of energy as last quarter will see their bills rise by around 13%. At a time when budgets are already stretched, this is yet another hit to people who are simply trying to heat their homes and cook their meals.

Energy is not a luxury. It is an essential human need. Every household in Britain should be able to afford basic everyday energy, no matter what happens in global markets. Yet across the country, too many people are being forced into making impossible choices. 

The issue is particularly challenging here in West Berkshire, where rural homes are often older and harder to insulate and therefore particularly exposed to soaring gas prices. As a result, local advice charities report rising numbers of residents seeking help with energy debt. 

Cold, damp homes are not only uncomfortable. They also lead to avoidable illnesses like asthma and pneumonia, costing the NHS over £1bn a year and putting additional pressure on our hospitals.

As temperatures become more volatile and unpredictable, fair, affordable energy should be available to all.

Under the Liberal Democrats’ Essential Energy Guarantee, every household would receive an essential amount of energy, equal to 50% of typical consumption at a discounted rate. This would:

• Save the average family £100 a year

• Save the least well‑off households £140 a year

• Provide extra discounts for families with children

• Give people with disabilities all their energy at the discounted rate

This is targeted, practical help that recognises the reality facing millions of households.

The big energy network operators are set to make £5 billion in windfall profits by 2028, thanks to a loophole in their contracts with Ofgem. That money should not be lining shareholders’ pockets while families in West Berkshire are struggling to stay warm.

Our plan would claw back those excess profits and return them to billpayers, helping with the cost of living and making essential energy affordable.

No family should have to choose between heating and eating, no child should grow up in a cold home, and no one should be pushed into debt because the system is stacked against them.

I’ll keep pushing for practical, compassionate policies that help households here in West Berkshire and for a fairer energy system that works for everyone.