Day 2 - #WarmThisWinter
Heating or eating: what would you choose? This is the stark reality for millions of families across the UK who have to make the difficult decision between choosing to keep food on the table or heat their homes. As we head into another winter of unaffordable energy bills, an estimated six million households will be living in fuel poverty in the UK.
The ongoing energy crisis
So many families will be living in cold, damp homes, sinking further into debt this winter, while energy companies continue to make record profits.
· Average energy bills are still double what they were two years ago, with prices expected to remain until at least 2025.
· Over a million households have had to disconnect their energy in 2023 because they cannot afford to keep the lights and heating on; and more than 1 million children live in households that went without heating, hot water and electricity in the first half of 2023.
· Nearly 5000 people died last year caused by living in cold, damp homes.
· Meanwhile, energy company profits are soaring. British Gas, made nearly £1 billion in the first half of 2023 and Shell recorded its highest ever profits in 2022. Energy suppliers’ profits on domestic energy bills could reach almost £2bn in the next 12 months with Ofgem increasing the profit allowances energy firms can take from our bills.
Our energy system is not fair and is not working for the public. It doesn’t have to be this way. We have the solutions to fix it. We just need the government to act on them.
What we’re calling for
Parents for Future UK is supporting the Warm This Winter campaign in calling on the government to take decisive action to fix our broken energy system with:
1. Emergency support: Whether it’s providing more financial help for low-income households, a scheme to tackle energy debt, or laws to stop energy firms forcing people onto more expensive prepayment meters, the government needs to step up and help people get through this winter and next.
2. Upgrade our homes: Britain has among the worst housing stock in Europe - our leaky homes mean £1 in every £4 spent on heating is currently wasted. Insulating homes is the cheapest and quickest way to lower bills for good. The government must urgently invest in a nationwide insulation and retrofit programme with more financial support for low and middle-income households.
3. Unlock cheaper energy: Onshore wind and solar are two of the cheapest ways to generate electricity. The government needs to fully remove the blocks to new onshore renewable energy projects and ensure that households can benefit from the cheapest forms of energy.
4. Free us from oil and gas: The UK’s dependence on gas for energy and heating is at the heart of the crisis, and the only way to protect the public from further price shocks is to transition away from expensive fossil fuels. Opening new gas fields will not lower bills. The government needs to stop giving generous subsidies and make it clear to the oil & gas industry that it’s time to transition away from expensive fossil fuels and stop new North Sea developments.
To make this happen, we need your help! Send a message to your MP using the Parents for Future Christmas card and let them know that everybody deserves to be warm this winter. Together, we can make sure that nobody has to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table. With your help, we can put pressure on the government to take action and fix our broken energy system for good.
About Parents for Future UK
Parents for Future UK are a growing climate community for parents and carers who want to campaign together for a safer, fairer tomorrow. We’re working together with Warm This Winter, a national coalition bringing together anti-poverty and environmental groups across the UK to campaign for practical measures that will help people with fuel costs now and ensure lower energy bills in the future.