Polling published by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition on 1 October 2024 found that 75 per cent of the public back the government introducing a social tariff, a discount on energy bills for those in greatest need of help1. The figure is up from 57 per cent in a similar poll published before the General Election. In the new figures, 12 per cent do not know whether they back the move and 13 per cent oppose it1.
Opinium surveyed 2,014 nationally and politically representative UK adults online between 7 and 8 October 20241. Support was highest for particular groups. The poll found 86 per cent felt those dependent on powered medical equipment to stay healthy at home, such as dialysis machines, oxygen concentrators and artificial ventilators, or who rely on energy to power equipment such as charging wheelchairs or running fridges for medicines, should get the tariff. Support stood at 81 per cent for people with respiratory diseases, 77 per cent for cardiovascular disease, 76 per cent for disability, 72 per cent for those financially vulnerable and 69 per cent for those at risk from not using energy due to money worries1.
| Group the tariff would cover | Public support |
|---|---|
| Dependent on powered medical equipment | 86% |
| Respiratory diseases | 81% |
| Older people | 78% |
| Cardiovascular disease | 77% |
| Disability | 76% |
| Financially vulnerable | 72% |
| At risk from not using energy due to money worries | 69% |
Following the Chancellor's removal of the Winter Fuel Payment from most pensioners, 67 per cent of the public want ministers to take action to boost other energy bill help, and 78 per cent called for a social tariff to be made available to older people1. The polling found the public backed the tariff being paid for by the energy industry, comprising producers, networks and suppliers, with support also for splitting the cost between industry and general taxation. There was almost no support for funding it fully by spreading costs across everyone else's energy bills, which the coalition says is usually what happens with support schemes at present1.
The coalition's most recent profits tracker, with data as at 3 September 2024, records over £457bn in profits generated by firms since the start of the energy bills crisis, and over £1,200 per household generated by network operators and transmission firms alone. The tracker examined declared profits of 20 firms, from producers such as Equinor and Shell through grid firms such as National Grid, UK Power Networks and Cadent to suppliers such as British Gas, and excludes supply chains and market trading firms1.
"The public believe that a social tariff must be implemented and this needs to be done as soon as possible to avoid more scenes of vulnerable people living in cold damp homes every winter. Hard-pressed bill payers also want to see this programme paid for by energy industry profits."
The coalition said in the run-up to the 2024 election the Labour Party committed to deliver a "fairer energy system for everyone", and that 55 per cent of Labour voters said this made them more likely to vote for the party in July. Of 2024 Labour voters, 32 per cent said it made no difference or they did not know, and 7 per cent said it made them less likely to vote Labour but did so anyway1. Scope policy manager David Southgate said disabled people spend more of their income on energy and face bills for charging equipment such as wheelchairs, hoists and breathing equipment, or for more heating1.
Why it matters for households
A social tariff would work differently from existing support. The social tariff proposals and where they stand centre on reducing the unit cost of energy for eligible households rather than paying a one-off credit, which is the model behind the Warm Home Discount. A lower unit rate protects a household against price movements, whereas a fixed credit does not. For homes that depend on electricity for medical equipment or extra heating, the unit rate is the part of the bill that rises with use, so it is the part that determines whether energy independence at home is affordable. The polling indicates public backing for the cost falling on industry profits rather than on other bill payers, which would matter for every household's standing charge and unit rate if it were adopted. The coalition's figures on industry profits and the £1,200 per household attributed to network and transmission firms are the context it gives for that funding argument1.
What happens next
The polling was published ahead of the Budget. No date for a decision on a social tariff, and no government commitment to introduce one, has been reported.