CEREDIGION MP Ben Lake has signed a cross-party letter calling on the UK Government to address the energy crisis.

It was revealed last week that Ceredigion faces the second highest rise in energy bills in the UK – with the average home having to find an additional £863 annually, much higher than the national average rise of £598.

Last year the average homeowner in Ceredigion paid out £1,092 for their annual energy bill, with the average household in Cardiff paying just £677.

Under the new price cap coming into force in April, that figure for Ceredigion is set to rise to £1,955. It could further rise again in the coming autumn when it is scheduled for another review.

In light of this, Ben Lake MP, Co-chair of the APPG on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, has signed a cross-party letter to the UK Government calling for a range of financial support measures to address the current energy crisis.

Polling conducted by YouGov has shown that 6 out of 10 British households say they would reduce their heating use by a fair amount/great deal if the cost of heating doubles.

Ben Lake MP said: “The hike will be a disaster for those who were already struggling to pay their bills and could leave over 6 million households in fuel poverty across the UK. These price increases will impact all households. But for those who were already struggling to pay their bills, it will be catastrophic. Without any additional support, millions will sink further into debt, and many will turn off the heating, leaving them at acute risk of serious ill-health and putting further strain on our stretched health services.”

The cross-party letter calls on the UK Government to ensure that any support package to address the crisis works in the best interests of fuel poor households, for example, by increasing the support available through existing schemes such as such as the winter fuel support scheme in Wales or an additional targeted rebate which could be delivered this winter.

The letter also adds “that any effort to reduce energy bills should not include the removal of green levies.”

Ben Lake MP added: “While there are arguments about whether green levies should remain on energy bills or be added instead to income tax, there is no justification for removing them completely. To do so would be to compound the gas crisis which we face by exacerbating fuel poverty and further delaying the transition away from fossil fuels.

“I will continue to work alongside colleagues to ensure the most vulnerable households are protected as far as possible from the current threat of significantly increased domestic energy bills.”