Davey on Ofgem energy price rise: Freeze energy bills and reinstate Winter Fuel Payments

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has today called on the government to freeze energy bills so that Ofgem's newly announced rise in the price cap will not go ahead. 

He also called on the government to reinstate Winter Fuel Payments or risk pensioners being “left out in the cold” this winter.

Ofgem announced today that the energy price cap will rise by 1.2% to £1,738 a year in January, following the previous 10% rise in October. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to cancel this rise in energy bills so that households don’t face even higher energy costs in the new year.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Enough is enough. This further rise in energy prices cannot go ahead. As we enter another cold and difficult winter, many people simply can’t afford to see their heating bills go up yet again.

“The disastrous government cuts to the Winter Fuel Payments coupled with this energy price rise will be a hammer blow for millions of vulnerable pensioners this winter.

“The new government must step in now, cancel this bill rise and reinstate Winter Fuel Payments to stop families and pensioners being left out in the cold this winter.

“This is a government that has pledged to bring down energy bills, it is time for them to live up to their word.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Previous polling by the Liberal Democrats revealed the staggering number of pensioners who could be negatively impacted this winter with over half (55%) of pensioners saying that they expected to heat their homes less in the coming months and a fifth (19%) saying that they will eat less. It can be found here.

Statistics from the government showing 100,000 additional pensioners to be pushed into relative poverty due to the Winter Fuel Payment cut can be found here.