A poll of 2,000 people by research firm Strand Partners found 88% of people are as concerned or more so than last year, amid mounting calls for a social tariff for consumers
Some 88% of people are just as anxious about their energy bills as they were last winter, even with a slight dip in prices.
A new poll reveals that concerns remain high or have increased compared to the previous year, fuelling demands for a social tariff for consumers. In January, the average energy bill for households in England, Scotland, and Wales rose by 1.2% after Ofgem upped its price cap due to wholesale costs.
This adjustment pushed the annual bill for a typical household’s energy use to £1,738, which is £21 more than the earlier cap. Although this is considerably less than the £1,928 annual cost from last year, the increase coincides with a particularly cold January.
Britain experienced its chilliest January night in over a decade, with temperatures dropping to a bone-chilling minus 18.9C in Scotland, leading to multiple cold weather health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency.
The survey of 2,000 people by Strand Partners has reignited calls for a social tariff, a concept long championed by campaign groups and now backed by Stephen Fitzpatrick, chief executive of Ovo Energy.
This proposed tariff would offer a reduced-price energy deal for the less well-off, potentially lower than any standard tariff currently on the market. The idea gains further traction as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband acknowledges that it’s “something that we need looking at”.
He informed MPs on January 15: “Different people mean different things by a social tariff. ” “We have a sort of social tariff in its infancy if you like through the warm homes discount but I definitely think that part of what we need to be examining the case for and the ability for us to do in the years ahead is, if you like, a more fully fledged version of that.”
David Buttress, chief executive of Ovo, supports Mr Miliband’s comments, expressing his support but also sharing his “deep concern” about the 88% figure. He remarked: “We are working with the Government to do everything we can to make energy more affordable for our customers.
“A social tariff to provide discounted energy to the most vulnerable households should be implemented by the Government as a top priority.”
The company has announced it will kick off a series of community events starting on Blue Monday, January 20, in Newport, Bristol, Inverness, and Glasgow, in collaboration with the Warm Welcome Group campaign.
These events aim to offer expert advice on reducing energy consumption and information on available Government grants.
