Robert Halfon MP welcomes Business Secretary’s announcement on energy bills to help businesses and public sector organisations this winter.
News / Wed 21st Sep 2022 at 03:33pm
HARLOW’S MP, Robert Halfon has today welcomed an announcement from the Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg to tackle the current energy bill crisis facing schools, businesses and other public sector organisations.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide protections for businesses, voluntary sector and public sector organisations which face excessively high energy bills over the winter period. This will include those on existing fixed price contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022, those signing new fixed price contracts, variable or deemed tariffs, or flexible purchase contracts. To administer support, the Government has set a supported wholesale price – expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter – which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity.
Families and eligible businesses do not have to take action or apply for support, energy suppliers will automatically apply the appropriate reduction via their energy bill.
Mr Halfon commented: “I have campaigned tirelessly to cut the cost of living and support Harlow’s businesses and public sector organisations. I strongly welcome the announcement made by the Business Secretary today which will provide fast and effective support to Harlow’s schools, businesses and other public sector organisations. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will cap bills at £211 per MWh for electricity & £75 per MWh for gas – less than half the expected cost this winter which will no doubt help many that are on the brink of collapse.
“The measures announced today follows the Energy Price Guarantee set out by the Prime Minister in her first week of office, which will cap annual household energy bills at £2,500 for 2 years from October. It also comes on top of the £37 billion intervention announced earlier this year. This will mean that every household in Harlow will still receive the £400 energy bill rebate and the most vulnerable families will receive up to £1,200 of additional support as well as the £150 council tax rebate and 5p fuel duty cut announced in the Budget. Pensioners will also receive an extra £300 over the winter period.
“Without a doubt, people are struggling with the rising costs of their bills, predominantly caused by the war in Ukraine. The measures announced today will provide additional peace of mind for Harlow businesses, schools and public sector organisations, and I will continue to work hard for Harlow and the villages over the coming months to ensure residents and organisations have the support they need.”
adam
2022-09-21 15:59:48
It was not cause predominately by Ukraine, energy costs where raising throughout 2021, several energy providers went bust. Ukraine was just the straw that broke the camels back. Most of this has been caused by closign storage, net zero insanity, printing money and covid restrictions / lockdowns which just completely messed up the economy. We need strong leadership and none of the politicians are providing it, probably because they are just professional politicians and have never really achieved or created anything without the state backing them up ensuring heads they win tails we lose.
Theman
2022-09-21 16:24:05
Totally agree. Though I think things will get a lot worse before strong intelligent leadership turns up. On the plus side, oil and gas prices are going down on the international market, which might buy a bit more time.
JD
2022-09-21 17:56:09
Mr Halfon commented: “I have campaigned tirelessly to cut the cost of living and support Harlow’s businesses and public sector organisations." RH has previously campaigned that this should be paid for by a windfall tax on the energy companies who are making excessive profits. Does he now believe that the taxpayer should pay for this? Does he now believe that the energy companies to keep their excess profits at the expense of the taxpayer? If so, why? If not, why is he no longer campaigning for a windfall tax?
Theman
2022-09-22 11:11:52
I looked up BP’s accounts and their excessive profits amounted to 6%. In business circles this is barely enough to keep a business on an even keel.
TJ
2022-09-23 21:52:31
Er... I think you're a bit adrift on BPs profit Theman. Profits rose over just 3 moonths to £6.9bn between April and June. That is up from $6.2bn in the first three months of the year, and three times BP’s underlying profits of $2.8bn in the second quarter of 2021.. poor they are not.
TJ
2022-09-23 22:14:21
As for the budget. People will remember he 24th of September as the day our economy began a rapid decline. Almost half of the personal tax cuts in the mini-budget will go to the richest 5% of the population, according to analysis by leading economic thinktanks. The better-off will also benefit from cuts to national insurance payments and an across-the-board reduction in the basic rate of income tax, which will be cut from 20% to 19%, due to take effect next year. Today’s tax cuts will do little to boost the incomes of those on low and middle incomes. The pound fell below $1.09 on Friday for the first time since 1985 as investors took fright at the prospect of a surge in government borrowing to pay for these sweeping tax cuts. That means everything we import will be more expensive, don't forget we're already be screwed on prices because of Brexit. While Mr Halfon may support tue many millionaires who choose to live in Harlow,any Tory MPs have said that Kwarteng’s mini-budget will prove “politically toxic and economically dubious”, as they lambasted the extra £72bn of borrowing needed to pay for swingeing tax cuts that will disproportionately benefit the very wealthy. Still, on the upside, all the multimillionaire bankers in Harlow will have no cap on their bonuses and those on universal credit already having to decide whether to eat or heat and relying on food banks, are going to be screwed even harder with cuts. And don't fall for the old story of those receiving benefits are skivvers. Three quarters of people in need of benefit are in work or looking for work. The other quarter are those poor souls who'll never work for one reason or another. Count your blessing you're not one of them.
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