- Think tank expert calls on government to offer more targeted
income support, accelerate energy decarbonisation and boost home
insulation
Today the UK will see the biggest rise in the cost of energy in
living memory, with bills increasing by 54 per cent. The IPPR
think tank warns that this rise will mean that many people on low
incomes will struggle to pay for essentials, unless the
government delivers more support. Improving home insulation and
decarbonising energy must also be prioritised.
Luke Murphy, IPPR associate director for energy, climate,
housing and infrastructure said, said:
“Today’s energy price cap rise will be a dark day for the UK’s
poorest. People on low incomes and in the most poorly insulated
homes will suffer an enormous hit to their family budgets, and
may be forced to miss out on essentials, such as food and
heating.
“So far, the government’s measures to reduce the impact of these
bill rises have been shockingly inadequate. To prevent this
energy crisis becoming a living standards catastrophe, the
government needs to get targeted support to those with the
greatest need, that means uplifting benefits by 8.1 per cent and
boosting child payments.
“The sad reality is that the situation facing households now
needn’t have been anywhere near as bad, but decades of inadequate
action to decarbonise our energy sources and insulate the
nation’s homes has left us dangerously exposed to fluctuating gas
prices.
“As war continues to rage in Ukraine, sending already surging gas
prices even higher, the government must now drastically
accelerate efforts to end our reliance on fossil fuels like gas
and accelerate investments in renewable energy. They also need to
roll out a GreenGO finance scheme – like ‘help to buy’ but for
green goods – to get insulation and heat pumps into everyone’s
homes”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Last year, IPPR published the final report of its
cross-party Environmental Justice
Commission, which set out a blueprint for a
people-first drive to net zero, which rapidly reduces
emissions, while ensuring fairness and opportunity for all. One
of the key recommendations was the introduction of a
one-stop-shop finance scheme called GreenGO to help
fund home insulation and heat pump installation. Available
here: https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/fairness-and-opportunity
- IPPR analysis of the government’s cost of living support
measures announced at the Spring Statement found that the poorest
households get just £120 help, while the richest are handed a
£480 boost. Available here: https://www.ippr.org/news-and-media/press-releases/revealed-poorest-get-just-120-help-in-spring-statement-while-richest-handed-480-boost
