Harrogate MP calls for energy bills to be frozen and Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated after energy price rise
Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon, has called on the government to freeze energy bills following Ofgem’s announcement that the energy price cap will rise again in January.
Tom also called on the government to reinstate Winter Fuel Payments or risk pensioners in Harrogate and Knaresborough being clobbered in the coming months by bill rises and cuts to support.
Ofgem have announced that the energy price cap will rise to £1,738 a year in January, following the previous 10% rise in October. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to cancel this rise in energy bills so that households don’t face even higher energy costs in the new year.
Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon, said:
“People here in Harrogate and Knaresborough shouldn’t have to face the prospect of once again having to fork out even more for their energy bills this winter. This energy price rise cannot go ahead.
“I have heard already from countless people in our area about how worried they are that this winter they will have to choose between heating and eating.
“For many pensioners, this price rise coincides with their loss of the Winter Fuel Payment. A double whammy of bill rises and less support will leave many more pensioners struggling to keep warm this winter.
“The new government has pledged to bring down energy bills. It is time for them to live up to their word, cancel this bill rise and protect families and pensioners here in Harrogate and Knaresborough this winter.”
ENDS
Previous polling by the Liberal Democrats revealed the staggering number of pensioners who could be negatively impacted this winter with over half (55%) of pensioners saying that they expected to heat their homes less in the coming months and a fifth (19%) saying that they will eat less. It can be found here.
Statistics from the government showing 100,000 additional pensioners to be pushed into relative poverty due to the Winter Fuel Payment cut can be found here.