Northumberland Labour says bringing prepayment meter energy prices into line will help people in lower income households

Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson says only Labour are taking the looming energy price crisis seriously.

He said: “The government doesn’t seem to grasp that its policies are preventing ordinary people from just being able to do the things we all take for granted, like using and paying for energy.

“One of the first things Labour want to tackle is the disproportionate price people with prepayment meters pay for energy. It suits energy companies to have us all paying by direct debit so they effectively penalise people who pay with prepayment meters when the vast majority of those people have no choice but to pay that way.

“When the new prices come in it’s going to make it practically impossible for people to heat their homes. As the weather gets colder this will mean people make the choice between heating and eating. It’s just not good enough in a modern country like ours.

“Bringing the prepayment energy prices into line with those for direct debit customers would provide relief to four million households whose disposable incomes are, on average, half that of households paying by direct debit.

“Labour would eliminate the gap between the two price caps and reimburse energy companies for the difference. This will cost around £113m between October and March.

“Sadly it’s a fact of life in this country that poorer people end up maying more for necessities. This has got to stop and it will under Labour.”