The Government has extended its Energy Price Guarantee to 31 March 2024, but the maximum amount that suppliers can charge will increase in April 2023 by 20%. Alongside this, the Government will be not be extending the £400 payment which all households are receiving this winter. This reduction in support will be extremely worrying to low-paid workers who are already struggling to keep warm.
Ahead of the Budget, Usdaw conducted a survey of over 7,500 members, mainly key workers, and found
- Over three-quarters have struggled to pay an energy bill over the past twelve months.
- 45% no longer use their household heating.
- Over four-in-ten have cut down on other essentials such as food.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “These eye-watering energy price increases are simply unaffordable for most working people and the situation is much worse for those on pre-payment meters. It is little wonder that too many are struggling to pay their bills, not putting the heating on, avoid cooking meals and having to choose between eating and heating.
“Despite the Chancellor seeking praise for their energy price guarantee, they are still allowing bills to increase by 135% in a year. At the same the Government has allowed wages to be devalued by rising prices and in today’s Budget they failed to deliver inflation busting increases in the incomes of the lowest paid workers or bring forward the uprating of minimum wage rates and in-work benefits.
“We are in a cost of living emergency, which needed emergency measures and we didn’t get that today. Workers need a government that will make a positive difference to their lives, as they desperately struggle to make ends meet. The failures of twelve years of the Conservatives in government are clear for everyone to see. Only a Labour Government can put Britain back on track.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion