Alex Sobel MP and his colleagues in the Labour Party are calling on the Government to cut VAT on domestic fuel bills as an immediate aid to help ease the burden of raising energy costs.
Alex said “This is the Government could implement immediately, I have received a large amount of correspondence from constituents concerned with the rising cost of energy.
In fact back in September last year I stated that my concerns primarily lie with increased energy costs adding additional pressure to many of my constituents who are already having their finances stretched to the limit, with the pending £20 cut to Universal Credit at the end of the month as well as facing an increase in National Insurance payments. That universal credit cut has now taken place and the Government have still not addressed the issue of energy costs for of my constituents.”
Alex stated that “The Labour Party has also laid out our plan to help combat these huge increases to energy costs. It must not be forgotten that we have arrived here because the government over the last decade have relied too heavily on importing energy, whereas the focus should have been on increasing our own energy supplies with more focus on decarbonisation of energy and Government investment in non-gas low carbon domestic heating. “
Labour would bring in fully-funded measures now to reduce the expected price rise in April – saving most households around £200 or more, but targeted extra support to squeezed middle, pensioners and the lowest earners, receiving up to £600 off bills and preventing all of the increase in energy bills currently expected.
They would pay for this with a one-off windfall tax on North Sea Oil and Gas producers who have profited from price rises.
Highlighting how crucial it is to keep energy bills lower in future, Labour have said they would:
Reduce Britain’s reliance on imported gas by accelerating home-grown renewables and new nuclear
Make sure 19 million homes are warm and well-insulated, saving households an average of £400 a year on bills
Regulate the market better, with a pledge to never again let energy companies play fast and loose with the rules
Alex reiterated that “as the chair of the All-party parliamentary group on net zero, our action plan looks at building an expansive and ambitious covid-19 green recovery package that focuses on green job creation and workforce retooling, especially in disadvantaged areas.
This includes looking at the growth of solar installers and the reintroduction of the feed-in tariff, (a government programme designed to promote the uptake of renewable and low-carbon electricity generation technologies).
Decarbonisation through heat pumps, electric heating or hydrogen would also present opportunities for SMEs as installers. All those things present a huge opportunity to create new SMEs and new jobs within them, but they need the business support, investment, incentives and targets, and an ecosystem that creates the opportunity for net zero for SMEs and business at large.”
Alex also said he was in full agreement with Ed Milband MP (Shadow Climate change and Net Zero secretary) who said “The Government failed to regulate the market, failed to protect our gas storage, failed to accelerate the renewable and nuclear transition, and failed to insulate homes.”
Alex concluded “Once again Labour and many Conservative MP’s are calling on the Government to take immediate action and ease the burden of not only people of low incomes but many on middle incomes who are also feeling the squeeze, not only due to energy costs, but increases in fuel and food costs and facing higher taxation in April”