AIBU to worry about a U-turn on the energy price cap?

[DahliaMacNamara]

I have no idea if they can or would do this. If someone can explain why it would never happen, that'll make it a nice short thread. Anyone?

So my disabled sibling’s benefit should be cut Grumpybutfunny ? I let her know that she should not have accommodation or food because, you know, tax payers.

I do wonder what will happen to those people who had signed up for a fixed energy deal only for the government to insist energy companies bump them onto the government limited cap.

The assumption that this was inevitably the cheaper solution for those customers was based
n the (now false) assumption it was in place for two years. What happens they find themselves looking at expensive energy tariffs in April wishing that their original contract hadn't been disbanded?

Anyway, divide-and-rule fans, no doubt there will be further spending cuts affecting benefits claimants later that keep you happy.

I don't think benefits should be cut

I don't think any employers should be able to get away with letting their employees rely on benefits

I am simply trying to explain why people are responding the way they area

And suggesting that the government actually wants people to respond like that rather than focus on the real issues

Like getting an election , changing the voting system etc

Shouldn't really be a surprise but is.

I had a letter today saying I could get out of my energy fix with no charges. Might be best to stick with it.

To the poster saying benefits should be cut...how are people going to afford to live?

It'll be a targeted approach to help the poorest and that is correct . The country is broke and we can't afford to help everyone .

Blimey, so people who are disabled are financially irresponsible. Welcome to tory Britain where people don't give a shit about the vulnerable.

I wasn't expecting this u-turn either.

Wages need to go up, that's the long and short of it. Govt won't increase the minimum wage by a sensible amount because they don't want to increase public sector workers wages. We need to all get behind each other, support the workers striking, support wage reform and support benefit increases. Businesses need to be given more relief to allow for a higher wage bill, but universal credit expenditure would fall significantly if people were paid more and earning above the threshold for UC.

What they should do it cap the cost of the first x KWs of energy that households use rather than cap all of it. That way the support will be targeted in order that everyone can afford a basic level of heat/power and people will be incentivised to cut their use to come under the limit. Their current policy is hugely costly and inefficient.

@Wheretheskyisblue I agree

He also said they will look at what, if anything, to do after April.

If a new scheme is needed, with six months to think about it, they can come up with a better-designed one. He did specifically mention that we need a scheme that incentivises people to conserve gas.

I disagree. People with limited funds are already adept at reducing their bills and therefore power consumption. This could still be higher for reasons like poor insulation, multi-generational living, power heavy accessibility technologies.

People who aren't cashed strapped shouldn't be subbed by those who are so they can continue to consume electricity without any adaptation.

I read an article over the weekend which said some Tory MPs are suggesting exactly this.

Have to say I agree with this. Families who are struggling will use less because they can't afford any more and it'll help them. Anyone else who uses more, ghas a choice.

He did specifically mention that we need a scheme that incentivises people to conserve gas

I wonder if we will see an advertising / public service announcement-style campaign regarding this? You know, like the one that Truss spacifically refused to put in place just a few days ago...

Re: my above post, I do acknowledge we might need the option of a different tariff for the elderly and disabled, maybe slightly lower unit rates than the rest of us. Can can chose this tariff or the one with reduced rates for low users.

So you want the most vulnerable who are on the lowest of incomes to die?

Why don't you be angry at the greedy MPS who keep claiming expenses and giving themselves pay rises while they single handily destroy this country? But oh yes it's benefits fault isn't it. Ffs.

A bit off topic but as we really do need to conserve energy to protect against blackouts, I’d actually support a law that forces businesses to turn off their bloody outside lighting when they’re shut! We have a new store built directly opposite our house, it’s not even started trading yet and yet it’s lit up like a bloody Christmas tree every evening.

My mum lives in Europe and this is happening there with stuff like AC for cafes, and it's being sold by the government as a "we are all in it together" - which I think is the right thing to do when supply is down. I wish we did the same here!

The reversal of the energy cap is going to concern a lot of people. However, since it did nothing to encourage people to conserve gas, it wasn't a great scheme.

I would rather see a scheme in which people could purchase a certain amount of energy at a low rate (sufficient for a household with frugal habits) and then any further energy usage at the full market rate. This would benefit everyone, but most of all those who were careful with their energy usage, whether that be for financial or environmental reasons. Those people who have very big houses to heat, or want to turn the thermostat up to 25C/use the tumble drier for hours etc could do so, but would need to pay a lot of money for the privilege.

Anyone worried about money is restricting energy use.

Wonderful. Benefits are currently so low people will starve.

No, I think that's rubbish.

On paper my electricity costs are quite low but that's because I have solar power and a home battery. This insulates our family from higher energy prices despite higher electricity consumption, it shouldn't mean that we also benefit from low cost energy unit prices because we don't take a huge amount from the grid - that's crazy, we don't need the help.

You do realise that a large percentage of people “on benefits” are taxpayers, don’t you…?