Stone and Burgess unite in condemnation of energy fuel hikes - ‘People have been forced to choose between heating or eating this winter’
Far North MP Jamie Stone and Highland MSP Ariane Burgess issued statements after Ofgem confirmed an energy price cap rise from April.
Jamie Stone, MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is calling on the Government to scrap the latest energy bill rise for local pensioners who’ve been stripped of their Winter Fuel Payments.
This comes as energy regulator Ofgem confirmed that the price cap for energy bills is set to rise a further 6.4 per cent from April, the third consecutive quarter where prices have risen.
Mr Stone expressed concern about the impact this could have on vulnerable pensioners across the UK – particularly in the Highlands, which experiences some of the coldest temperatures in the country.
Previous Liberal Democrat research has found that 9 in 10 UK adults are worried about the cost of heating and have changed how they heat their homes this winter, to help keep bills lower. The Liberal Democrats are also calling for the introduction of an energy social tariff, to protect vulnerable people living in fuel poverty.
Commenting, Mr Stone said: “I am dreadfully worried about the impact this latest energy bill rise will have on vulnerable pensioners and families in the Highlands.
“I’ve heard from people who have been forced to choose between heating or eating this winter. Soaring heating bills are a real challenge for pensioners who have had their Winter Fuel Payments slashed.
“This is why my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are calling on the Government to scrap this latest energy bill rise for pensioners who have had their Winter Fuel Payments scrapped. The government needs to get a grip on energy bills, the least they could do is ensure that bills do not get bigger for those impacted by this cut.”
Ofgem’s announcement on the energy price cap means that the average household will have to pay an extra £111 a year from April.
Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands said that despite the Highlands' significant contribution to the UK's renewable energy production, “residents are not seeing the benefits in their energy bills”. She says that the disparity is “unacceptable and highlights the urgent need for a fairer energy system” that works for everyone, not just the energy giants.
“The fossil fuel executives are laughing their way to the bank and toasting eye-watering profits, while households and families across our country are being plunged into poverty by a broken energy market. Scotland has renewable resources that any country would envy, but billpayers are not seeing the benefit of them.
“Labour promised to cut costs, but this is the third increase in a row since Keir Starmer took office. It simply isn't good enough. Labour is failing badly. We need radical and urgent reform of our energy system, and to finally break the link between global gas prices and electricity bills.
"Renewables have helped cut the cost of generating electricity, this should be reflected in the bills that people are paying. The shift to clean, green renewable energy is crucial for our environment, and it is key to building a system that works for people and planet.”
“We need immediate action to protect Highland households from further financial strain and to ensure that the region's renewable energy resources are used to lower costs for local communities. The Labour government must step up and deliver on its promises to reduce energy bills and support a transition to a sustainable, equitable energy system.”
