Powys County Council has called on the UK Government to take action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, to ensure communities are “not held to ransom by such ballooning costs”.

Powys Council voted to back a motion, put forward by Councillor Matthew Dorrance and Cllr Sandra Davies, highlighting the significant pressures families in Powys are experiencing because of the rise in energy, food and fuel prices.

In passing the motion, Powys County Council will now call on Powys’ Conservative Members of Parliament to take action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing local families, taking “immediate and substantive action” to support households who are struggling with rising household energy costs.

The Council also voted to support the UK Labour plan to remove VAT on energy bills for at least one year; increasing the Warm Home Discount from £140 to £400 per year and expanding the number of eligible households to 9.3 million; and introducing a year-long increase to corporation tax for North Sea oil and gas producers in order to secure a £1.2 billion windfall from their increased price rise profits to help mitigate household energy bills.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance said: “Families in Powys are struggling because of rising energy, food and fuel costs. Whilst support from our Welsh Government through the Winter Fuel Support Scheme and the Cost-of-Living Payment are much needed and very welcome, the UK Government needs to take action too.

“The UK Government could give families in Powys security by taking fully-funded measures to save most households around £200 or more and targeting extra support on top of that for families, pensioners and the lowest earners.”

Glantwymyn Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “We’re already aware that in Powys, according to the most recent Welsh Government statistics almost a fifth of households already live in fuel poverty, and this unregulated hike in oil prices is merely throwing more families into greater hardship – facing the unenviable choice of heating or eating.

“It’s vital the UK Government acts urgently to regulate the rocketing cost of oil, and ensure households in Powys, and across Mid & West Wales are not held to ransom by such ballooning costs.

“Cost of living is a huge concern especially as we see fuel costs increasing ever more affecting everything else. I therefore support calls for short term measures including extending the rural fuel duty relief scheme to Wales, to alleviate some of the pressure on households.

“Currently, the Rural Fuel Duty Relief allows retailers to claim back up to 5p per litre duty relief on unleaded petrol and diesel, and pass on the savings to customers, covering 17 areas of England and Scotland, including parts of the Highlands, Argyll and Bute, Northumberland, Cumbria, Devon and North Yorkshire. No areas of Wales are currently eligible for the scheme.”

Cllr Sandra Davies said: “Labour’s plan to keep energy bills lower in future would see us accelerate home-grown renewables, retrofit 19 million homes to save households an average of £400 a year on their bills, and reform our broken energy system to stop energy companies playing fast and loose with the rules.

“It is entirely right that the energy producers which are benefitting from this crisis are asked to pay their fair share.

“We will reform our broken energy system so we deliver the green transition we need, energy security, and bills that are affordable.”