Catherine McKinnell MP has called on the next Prime Minster to “go big and bold” to support households struggling with crippling energy bills following today’s announcement on the energy price cap.

The new cap is expected to push the average yearly household energy bill to over £3,500 from October – double what it was in October 2021.

Catherine said:

“Today’s announcement shows we are headed for a disaster this winter unless the Government steps in.

“Even before this increase my constituency inbox was filled with messages from people struggling to pay their energy bills. The average annual bill is now expected to rise by another £1,500 from October, and most households just don’t have that kind of money to spare.

“Without further support there will be widespread financial and physical hardship, households will be left owing unmanageable debts to energy companies, and many could have their supply cut off.

“So, the new Prime Minister needs to go big and bold to get support to households as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we’ve seen no serious proposals from either of the Conservative leadership candidates, or any sign that they have grasped the scale of the crisis.

“Labour has set out costed plans to stop energy bills reaching catastrophic levels this winter by freezing the price cap, paid for by an extra tax on energy giants who are making eye-watering profits.

“The Government must now follow Labour’s lead and act urgently. We can either allow gas and oil producers to continue making huge profits while households suffer, or we can do something about it.

“We must also take every step to insulate homes to help people cut back on heating. The Government has already dithered too long for insulation to make a significant difference this winter, but we need to protect people against instability in the long-term and reduce energy usage to meet our climate goals.”