Lords could amend energy bill to protect poorest households
The government’s flagship energy bill will come before the House of Lords for a series of potential amendments on Monday that campaigners say could help protect the poorest households from the worst of soaring energy bills.
The bill is to enter its committee stage, at which influential peers are expected to advocate crucial changes to the legislation that if accepted could help to reduce costs for consumers.
Measures are needed to insulate more homes, boost renewable energy generation and help the most vulnerable heat their homes, according to a coalition of charities and civil society groups.
However, some of the key measures are likely to be blocked by the government. The outcome of the leadership vote among Conservative party members will be announced on Monday afternoon, and the new prime minister – either Liz Truss, the favourite to win, or former chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak – will take office on Tuesday.
Parliament returns on Monday after the summer recess to face a growing crisis over the cost of living. The price cap on energy bills for average households will rise to £3,549 from October. Academics have warned that by January, two-thirds of households could be in fuel poverty and millions of people on lower incomes may have to choose between heating and eating this winter.
But Truss has set firm against some of the key measures that experts said would alleviate hardship among poorer households. She firmly opposes any extension of the windfall tax on energy producers, even though oil and gas companies have reaped an unprecedented bonanza this year, owing to the impact of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine rather than any investment or productivity improvements on their part.
Russia has now switched off the
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