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“Even Tory MPs raised concerns about fuel poverty”
Rumblings of discontent were heard yet again in Westminster from members of all parties over how the government and industry should tackle fuel poverty.
Led by energy spokesman Callum McCaig, the SNP once again called for a national transmission pricing structure to help those in more remote areas pay less.
Former shadow energy minister Jonathan Reynolds slammed the Energy Company Obligation as “not fit for purpose”, while his Labour colleague Clive Lewis attacked the government for lowering its ambition on energy efficiency. More than five million homes had energy efficiency measures in the last parliament, he said, while the government is planning for only one million between 2015 and 2020.
Even Conservative MPs raised concerns with the level of fuel poverty and the effect it can have on the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable. Tory David Warburton said “progress seems rather overdue” on the issue.
However, energy minister Andrea Leadsom basically swatted away their arguments – especially that of McCaig – stating 1.8 million homes would pay more under a national transmission pricing system.
She added the government is “absolutely focused on tackling fuel poverty” and that the new energy efficiency programme will “tackle the root cause” of fuel poverty.
The message was that the government is aware of the problems being raised, and is addressing them. We will find out just how well when the details of the new energy efficiency programme come to light.
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