The Liberal Democrats have today set out a plan to cut energy bills by £100 for the average household in North Devon, helping to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Lib Dem MP, Ian Roome, has backed the party’s plans for an “Essential Energy Guarantee.”
It would see every household receive a basic energy allowance, equivalent to 50% of average energy consumption, at a discounted rate, helping with the cost of everyday essential energy needs like heating, lighting, and running medical equipment.
This is the newest part of a package of common sense policies put forward by the Liberal Democrats: ensuring all new homes are zero carbon, a new home insulation upgrade programme, breaking the link between electricity and gas prices, and removing the renewables obligation levy. Overall, the party’s plans would halve energy bills for families in the next decade.
According to House of Commons Library data, an estimated 12% of local households in North Devon were in fuel poverty in 2023, struggling to afford their most basic energy needs. This is higher than both the average in the South West and nationally.
This intervention would save the average household £100 a year, while the poorest 20% would save an average of £140.
Families would receive extra allowances for children, and the most vulnerable – such as people with disabilities or on the lowest incomes would receive the discounted rate on all their energy use.
The scheme will be funded by clawing back £5 billion in unexpected windfall profits from monopoly energy network operators.
North Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Roome, said:
“Across North Devon, too many families are still having to make difficult choices just to keep their homes warm and the lights on. In rural areas like ours, it’s already more expensive to heat homes and we have many households relying on heating oil who are not protected in the same way as those on the gas grid.
“I wrote directly to the Energy Minister about just how exposed people in North Devon are to sudden price rises. But it’s not just households feeling the pressure, farmers and rural businesses face rising costs of energy, red diesel and fertiliser, and they’re in need of urgent government support.
“The Essential Energy Guarantee would give households proper, long-term help and would force energy network monopolies to use their windfall profits to support it. I challenge Labour’s leadership contenders to back our proposal and finally give families in North Devon the long-term energy security they deserve.”
