“The fact that the Prime Minister prioritised announcing measures to tackle the cost of living on his first full day in office is a positive sign of the importance being given to the matter in Government. He has also correctly focused on reducing energy bills, which is crucial as bills have increased considerably over the last few years.
“We see the need for support clearly everyday – upwards of 400,000 people contact us for help every single year. Moreover, to help keep on top of energy costs, half the people we support buy less food, and more than two in five actively skip meals. Over a third of people cancel or delay their council tax payments, and nearly three in ten cancel or delay their water bills. The knock-on effect of high energy costs is really significant and have such a negative impact on people’s lives.
“We’re glad to see the Government move quickly to remove VAT from energy bills and give households a little respite. Nonetheless, more support will be needed as we head towards the colder months – the Government will need to give targeted help to those most at risk of self-rationing their energy or living without the energy they need. We urge the Government to maintain the momentum and make it easier for prepayment customers to manage their costs by stabilising the value of their required weekly top ups over the year – a move that will make a big difference for households in every postcode as we head towards the colder months.”
ENDS
