National Energy Action, Energy UK, Citizens Advice, Fair By Design and MoneySavingExpert jointly called on the Government on 21 July 2023 to publish its planned consultation on a possible social tariff and other options for customer support, warning that time is running short before winter1.
The organisations said the Government had pledged to introduce better targeted support by April 2024, and that with Parliament in recess until September it would now be very challenging to deliver on that pledge1. They argued that targeted help, unlike the universal support provided last winter by the Energy Bill Support Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee, requires more time to introduce, so the issue should be addressed now rather than in the autumn1.
Despite a recent price fall, the groups said millions of customers will still struggle to afford their energy bills this winter, projected to be at least £600 higher than they were at the start of last year1. They warned that the accumulated effect of an extended period of high bills and other cost-of-living pressures means many customers risk falling further into debt even as prices stabilise, and called for any support package to be targeted, funded fairly and to work with existing measures such as the Warm Home Discount1.
Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, said:
"Last winter was bleak but this winter is set to be even worse. Our figures show 6.6 million UK households are in fuel poverty, an increase of over 2.5 million since the energy crisis began. That's millions more people going without hot food, warm showers and rationing their heating or turning it off altogether. A social tariff for the most vulnerable is vital to help those who cannot stay warm, safe and healthy at home."
The 6.6 million figure is NEA's own estimate of UK households in fuel poverty, an increase of over 2.5 million since the energy crisis began1. No further breakdown by nation was given in the announcement.
Why it matters for households
The call concerns the shape of bill support rather than its level. Universal measures such as the Energy Bill Support Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee applied to all households; the groups argue that targeted help, including a possible social tariff, would reach those least able to pay but takes longer to set up1. For a household, the practical difference is whether support arrives automatically through the existing bill mechanism or depends on eligibility criteria that have not yet been published. The consultation that would set out those criteria has not been published, so the eligibility rules, the size of any discount and how it would be funded have not been reported1. The groups also want any package to work alongside the Warm Home Discount rather than replace it1.
What happens next
Parliament is in recess until September 20231. The Government's stated aim, as the groups describe it, is to introduce better targeted support by April 20241. Whether the consultation is published before or after the recess, and what it contains, has not been reported1.