Councillor plea to save families in York from £500 energy bill rise in April

Liberal Democrat councillors are calling on the Government to cancel plans to hike the average household energy bill by £500 in April, and instead bring in a tax on the “bonanza bonuses” of oil and gas bosses.

Under the Conservative current plans, in April the average energy price is set to rise by £500 even as the energy cap is lowered.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for cuts to people's bills instead, combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals across York.

These plans would mean that in York the average household would be £450 better off. In total York would save a huge over £38million.

York’s Lib Dem councillors have said new price hikes now will be a “hammer blow” to families and businesses already struggling and that action is needed now to save people from a “cost of living cliff-edge.”

Councillor Ashely Mason, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, commented:

“The Conservatives’ plan to hike energy bills in April will come as a hammer blow to families already struggling with soaring mortgages and rents, shopping bills and tax rises. 

“With no plan to deal with this cost of living crisis for people or businesses, this chaotic, out-of-touch Government is instead making it much worse. To add insult to injury Rishi Sunak is happy for energy bosses to rake in millions of pounds in bonanza bonuses, while families struggle to put food on the table or heat their homes.

“People need real support and that’s what the Liberal Democrats are calling for. Rishi Sunak must act now to save families from a cost-of-living cliff edge, by cutting energy bills instead of increasing them.”