Marie Tidball MP welcomes new plans to lower energy bills and improve energy security

Marie Tidball, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, has welcomed new reforms from the government to lower energy bills and increase the country’s energy security, including new transforming the regulation of the industry to protect customers.

The Government have announced plans to overhaul the energy regulator, Ofgem, to ensure customers are treated fairly and good practice is guaranteed in the market. This includes new powers for Ofgem to ban energy company bosses’ bonuses if they break the rules, stronger powers to enforce customer law directly to avoid lengthy court processes and new measures to act in regulated sectors such as heating oil.

To protect household bills from future energy shocks, the government have also announced they are breaking the link between the cost of expensive gas and cheap renewables like solar, wind and nuclear.

Dr Tidball has also welcomed the government’s further reforms to increase tax on excess profits being made energy generators, who have seen revenues increase to support businesses and households with the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on the cost of living.

This follows major planning reforms that have also been announced, to speed up the deployment of clean power, as well as an extra £100 million for the £1.2 billion Social Housing Fund to bring down energy bills for social housing residents.

__Marie Tidball, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: __

“With the UK facing the second fossil fuel price spike in less than five years, I know the impact this is having on the cost of living for our communities. At the same time, I listen to residents tell me too often about how they have been let down by their energy supplier and a broken system.

“The new powers for Ofgem will finally clamp down on bad practice, put customers first and tackle the cost of living. Working towards a long-term solution through our homegrown clean energy is also crucial for our economic security, energy security and national security.

“This month, the government have brought energy bills down by 7%, and will continue to work towards tackling the cost of living, and stand by families as the impacts of instability in the Middle East become clear.”