Swansea Labour council calls on Tory Government to act over crippling energy bills
THE TORY GOVERNMENT MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY ON RISING ENERGY BILLS TO PROTECT HOUSEHOLDERS the Swansea Labour-led Council has said.
In the coming months family budgets are going to be dramatically squeezed, not helped by energy bills rising faster than ever before.
It is leaving many struggling families facing the stark choice between heating and eating.
The price cap that energy firms must adhere to is set to rise substantially – so the Labour administration is asking the Tory Government to take decisive positive action.
“We want to help families and householders by protecting them from excessive price rises. They face an unprecedented squeeze on incomes and people are increasingly worse off.”
A notice of motion, agreed by full council aims to address the national energy crisis, and asks council leader Rob Stewart to call on the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to act immediately on:
reducing VAT for energy bills
introducing a new, lower price cap on energy bills
making grants or interest-free loans more available to encourage home owners and businesses to embrace renewable energy solutions such as solar
introducing a windfall tax on energy companies to fund a UK grant scheme for those most in need
Labour Cllr Stewart said: “We want to help families and householders by protecting them from excessive price rises. They face an unprecedented squeeze on incomes and people are increasingly worse off.
“As a Labour-led council, we’ll do all we can to help by signposting residents to support options and energy efficiency ideas as well as making our council homes cheaper to heat.
“We’ve already processed around 30,000 £100 payments to households thanks to the Welsh Government winter fuel support scheme.
“However, the help families need to deal with the cost of living crisis can only be fixed by decisive action by the UK Government.”
The bills rise comes on top of a cost of living crisis created by the impacts of Brexit and the pandemic. Inflation remains at a 30-year high and earnings have failed to keep pace with prices.
Labour Cllr Andrea Lewis, the council’s joint deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change and service transformation, said: “The additional costs of day-to-day living are impacting negatively on every household across Swansea – and even more so on families living near the breadline.
“Many visit food banks and are now faced with the terrible choice of heating their home or putting food on the table. We want to help.”
“The additional costs of day-to-day living are impacting negatively on every household across Swansea – and even more so on families living near the breadline. We want to help.”
Swansea Labour are advising those looking to cut energy bills now can get free, independent advice from Swansea city centre’s new Energy Awareness Hub. Organisations behind it include Swansea Council and the Environment Centre Swansea.
It is situated at 13 Nelson Street and is open on Thursdays from noon-6pm, Fridays (10am-4pm) and Saturdays (9am-3pm).
Notice of Motion on the National Energy Crisis to be submitted in the following names
Andrea Lewis, Rob Stewart, David Hopkins, Jan Curtice, Des Thomas, Sam Pritchard, Mike Lewis, Wendy Lewis, Cyril Anderson, Mark Child, Robert Francis-Davies
Notice of Motion - National Energy Crisis
This council recognises the unprecedented energy crisis facing many households across Swansea, Wales and the UK. In the coming months more and more households will see increases of a magnitude never seen before as the price cap is removed or energy deals come to an end.
This comes on top of a cost of living crisis created by the Impacts of Brexit and the Covid Pandemic which have already seen an unprecedented squeeze on peoples incomes.
Inflation remains very high which is putting huge pressure on household budgets as earnings have not kept pace with prices, leaving family budgets squeezed and people worse off.
The additional costs of day to day living are already impacting negatively on every household across Swansea but even more so on families who are living close to the bread line many of whom still need to visit food banks and will now be faced with the terrible choice of heating their home or or putting food on the table.
As a Council, we will continue to do everything within our power to help mitigate energy costs by signposting residents to the number of financial support options available to improve the energy efficiency of residents homes as home owners as well as our significant investment in our Council homes to make them cheaper to heat and live in.
WG are also giving many households £100 each and we welcome this contribution in the interim with the Council processing up to 30,000 such payments to households in Swansea.
However, the help families need to deal with the cost of living crisis can only be fixed by decisive action by the UK Government
This Council therefore calls upon the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer and call for the immediate implementation and action for the following :-
A reduction in VAT for Energy Bills to help families and householders
An introduction of a new lower price cap on energy bills to protect households from excessive price rises
Increasing the availability of grants or interest free loans to encourage the take up of renewable energy solutions such as domestic Solar / PV for private home owners and local businesses
A windfall tax on energy companies to fund a UK wide grant scheme for qualifying households to complement the work started by the WG £100 scheme
