Nadhim Zahawi tells Brits to cut down their energy use to ease soaring bills
Brits should consider cutting back their energy consumption, suggested Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, after Ofgem announced an 80 per cent hike to the price cap.
The energy price cap will rise to £3,549 per year from October 1 – dragging tens of millions of Brits into fuel poverty.
Zahawi told reporters: “The reality is that we should all look at our energy consumption, it is a difficult time.”
He also revealed The Treasury was working on support options for both households and businesses to be ready in time for the next Prime Minister.
Writing in City PM earlier this week, Zahawi said there would be “ready-made options for the energy crisis” for the next prime minister.
Boris Johnson’s successor will be announced on September 5, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss widely expected to win the leadership contest against former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
“We know we need to do more because actually the most vulnerable households have no cushion,” Zahawi said.
“More help is on its way … I am doing the work to make sure that will be in place throughout next year.”
However, he argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin was using energy as a weapon and would continue to do so.
This meant Britain needed to remain resilient for the long term and make sure any help was not just a sticking plaster.
Potential methods of cutting energy usage to drive down bills without significantly inconveniencing energy users include reducing boiler flow rates, investing in heavier curtains, and lowering thermostat temperatures, which could shave hundreds of pounds off energy bills.
However, such proposals have previously veered into advice that has been deemed patronising, with Ovo Energy drawing customer ire last year for recommending customers hug their pets and do star jumps to reduce energy demand.
EON UK was also criticised for sending customers free socks branded with advice to turn down heating.
There is also increased focus on energy efficiency, with EDF calling for a rapid rollout of insulation across the UK’s housing stock.
It argued cavity wall and loft insulation could save households £600 per year each.
Darren Jones, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, believed that alongside immediate financial support, Downing Street should unveil a nationwide insulation scheme.
He said: “The Government must finally bring forward a national programme of home insulation works so that bill payers won’t need to use as much heating to keep their homes warm in winter. This is both an urgent and permanent solution and ministers need to stop causing unnecessary delays.”