'Energy is not a luxury - it is essential' say Medway Liberal Democrats

Every single household in Medway should be able to afford their basic everyday energy needs regardless of what happens in global energy markets, and regardless of who happens to be sitting in Number 10.

John Castle, spokesperson for Medway Liberal Democrats said; "As energy bills continue to soar, Medway households are being forced to choose between heating and eating, while cold and damp homes cause avoidable illnesses like asthma and pneumonia. This is not just an economic scandal - it is a moral one too.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats have announced a new policy to help make essential energy affordable and help make fuel poverty a thing of the past.

Our Essential Energy Guarantee will cut energy bills by giving every household an essential amount of energy, equal to 50% of typical consumption, at a discounted rate.

Our plans will save the average Medway family £100 a year, with support going further for those who need it most, saving the least well-off households £140 on average. This includes families receiving an additional discount for each child they have, and people with disabilities getting all their energy at the discounted rate.

The big energy network operators who own the gas pipelines and electricity cables are gaming the system - and they are set to rake in a whopping £5 billion in windfall profits by 2028, all because of a loophole in their contracts with the energy regulator Ofgem.

We will make them pay for this plan by clawing back that money, returning it to billpayers, and helping them with the cost-of-living."

Medway Liberal Democrats are determined to make a difference with the bold policies needed to help ordinary families in our region.

This announcement builds on our existing plans to halve energy bills over the next ten years, including through an emergency home insulation scheme, breaking the link between gas and electricity prices, and stimulating a rooftop solar revolution.

It’s time we ensured energy security is a right, not a privilege.

ENDS