Steve backs Labour’s plan to freeze heating bills

Steve Reed shares his views on rising energy bills – and Labour’s plan to freeze them.

“Every week I meet people in Croydon North who are finding it harder to stretch their pay packets until the end of the month.  In Thornton Heath, a young mum told me how her monthly bills are going up and she just cannot make ends meet.  As the nights draw in and winter approaches people are worried about how they will pay their sky-rocketing heating bills.  It can’t be right that people are having to choose between putting food on the table and turning on the heating.

Since David Cameron has been in Downing Street prices have risen faster than wages in 38 out of 39 months, and energy bills have gone up by almost £300. When the price of fuel increases energy companies are quick to pass it on to consumers, but when wholesale prices fall consumers don’t see the benefit.  .

The problem is David Cameron won’t deal with the cost of living crisis because he stands up for a privileged few, not for ordinary families. David Cameron has cut tax for people earning more than £150,000 a year but raised it for everyone else.

I’m delighted that Ed Miliband has promised that Labour will freeze energy bills until the start of 2017 if he wins the next election.  And he says Labour will break up the big energy companies so that everyone can get a fairer deal on energy prices in future.  This will save a typical household £120 and an average business £1,800 a year.  That’s money that will make a real difference to hard-pressed household budgets here in Croydon.

But people tell me they need help now. So I’m calling on David Cameron to freeze energy bills straight away, but if doesn’t a Labour Government will.”