Steve Brine is calling for urgent new measures to help families and pensioners across the Winchester area.
Steve Brine, Prospective Conservative MP for Winchester is calling for urgent new measures to help families and pensioners across the Winchester area who face soaring energy bills and are struggling to make ends meet this winter. The average gas and electricity bill in our area has now soared to £1,260 a year.
One in five families is now estimated to live in fuel poverty. According to Age Concern, there are more winter deaths in Britain than in colder European countries‚ such as Finland‚ Denmark and Austria.
Conservatives have launched a series of proposals to tackle fuel poverty, which would cut the fuel bills of the poorest households by introducing tough new rules that make it illegal for energy companies to charge over the odds on pre-payment meters and oblige every energy company to offer ‘social’ tariffs to vulnerable households.
The plans would also make energy companies provide information on energy bills that shows customers whether they are on the cheapest tariff available – and, if they are not, makes clear how much they would save if they switched to the cheapest tariff, and how to do it.
Mr Brine added that the Conservatives want to see reform Post Office Card Accounts so that people can pay their utility bills through direct debit style payments, cutting the energy bills of up to four million ‘unbanked’ people by £100 a year.
He said; “With gas and electricity bills at record highs, people across the Winchester area face their toughest winter for years. Without immediate help, many will have to choose between staying warm and going into debt. That is no fun whatsoever, especially as the temperature has nose-dived in Winchester this week. It is completely unacceptable that the most vulnerable people on pre-payment meters should be targeted by the energy companies to pay more than their fair share. That should be banned at once.
“And all customers should have the right to be told what the cheapest tariff is – instead of paying more because they are baffled by the complexity of what energy companies offer. The Government must act immediately to save the poorest from spending this winter worrying whether they can afford to keep warm."