8 September 2022
- Truss plan leaves energy unaffordable for millions of households
- Only renewables and insulating people’s homes will help tackle both cost of living crisis and climate crisis
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has slammed the Prime Minister’s plan to cap energy costs through an increase in government debt while pushing for exploiting more oil and gas.
Ramsay said:
“The Truss plan still leaves energy unaffordable for millions of households. It risks forcing many people to choose whether to heat or eat this winter. This is why the Green Party has proposed to cap energy prices at the October 2021 level of £1,277.
“Nor is there any plan to insulate our leaky homes to make them warmer and healthier and hardly anything on investing in renewables – the cheapest way to generate electricity.
“The plan to grant 100 new licences to oil and gas companies to expand their climate destroying industry and continue raking in eye watering dirty profits is inexplicable while we still hold the COP Presidency, and when we know that renewables are far cheaper.
“The only logical explanation for this reckless plan, along with cutting the so-called green levy, is that Truss is making an ideological choice to curry favour with friends and Tory Party donors in the oil and gas industry.
“The decision to end the ban on fracking will only deepen our country’s dependence on fossil fuels, will not bring down fuel bills for people who are struggling, and will cause yet more damage to local communities and to the climate. Even the outgoing Prime Minister described such a plan as ‘dubious.’ [2]
“The most effective and sustainable way of bringing down the cost of living is to invest in insulating houses and massively ramping up renewable energy. Fracking is an expensive and dangerous distraction from that urgent goal.
“Greens have a fair plan to tackle energy costs now, create lower bills in future and ensure we move towards a cleaner, greener and cheaper energy supply.”
The Green Party has proposed to cap energy prices at the October 2021 level of £1,277 while higher income households pay progressively more as they use more energy [1]. The plan would be funded by a heavier windfall tax on the fossil fuel industry and taxes on the wealthy. The Greens are also pressing for a nationwide insulation programme and large scale investment in renewables.
ENDS
Notes
1
For more information or to arrange an interview contact the press office on press@greenparty.org.uk or call 0203 691 9401
Follow this news feed: Green Party