Calls to save families in Bassetlaw from £500 energy bill rise

Leon Duveen, Liberal Democrat chairman in Bassetlaw.

Leon Duveen is also calling for the Government to bring in a tax on the “bonanza bonuses” of oil and gas bosses.

The party is calling for cuts to people's bills instead, combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals across Bassetlaw.

In April, the Conservatives are planning to raise the energy price guarantee by £500.

The Liberal Democrats say their plans would mean that in Bassetlaw the average household would be £458.85 better off.

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Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have set out a plan to tackle the energy crisis including:

A windfall tax on oil and gas companies to raise billions of pounds;
A cancellation of the Governments £500 energy bill rise in April;
A one-off bonus tax on oil and gas executives;
Doubling the Warm Homes Discount to £300;
A U-turn on plans to slash energy bill support for businesses, leisure centres, schools, and hospitals by 85%, and instead extend current levels of support for another six months.

Mr Duveen said: “The Conservatives’ plan to hike energy bills in April will come as a hammer blow to families in Bassetlaw already struggling with soaring mortgages and rents, shopping bills and tax rises.

“With no plan to deal with this cost of living crisis for people or businesses, this chaotic, out-of-touch Government is instead making it much worse because they just don’t get it.

“People need real support and that’s what the Liberal Democrats are calling for. Sadly, to add insult to injury Rishi Sunak is happy for energy bosses to rake in millions of pounds in bonanza bonuses, while families struggle to put food on the table or heat their homes.”

A price cap is set every three months by Ofgem, the energy industry’s regulator, setting the maximum price suppliers can charge households per unit of energy on a standard tariff.

However, after energy prices soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government announced a price guarantee would temporarily replace the cap. That will rise from £2,500 to £3,000 a year from April.