Voters name for enormous cuts in power payments for probably the most weak

Voters have called on the next government to help the most vulnerable with their energy bills.

Almost two-thirds (57 per cent) of the public want to see a social tariff launched to offer cheaper energy to those in real need, according to campaign group Warm This Winter.

While 32 per cent were neutral or didn’t know if they backed it or not, just 11 per cent of the public opposed the proposals.

A social tariff is a discounted energy bill for people in greatest need, such as those people that have low incomes and are elderly, have young children or rely on energy for medical needs.

The average energy bill, currently £1,690 a year, will fall to £1,568 a year from 1 July.

Energy dilemma: Many of the poorest households struggle to heat their homes during the coldest winter months, especially with energy bills still high compared to historic norms

But some of the highest energy bills are paid by the people least able to afford them, such as the elderly and disabled, who often require more power for heating and using medical equipment.

Discounted social tariffs are common for broadband and mobile phone deals, but only because the communication regulator forces firms to offer them. 

But social tariffs have not existed for gas and electricity since energy firms began scrapping them in 2011.

There is some government help available, such as the Warm Home Discount scheme which last winter gave eligible households a £150 payment – though this covered less than 10 per cent of the average annual bill. 

Despite strong support for energy social tariffs, they have not featured in any political party manifestos for the 2024 general election so far. Labour’s manifesto has not yet been published, however. 

The cross-party House of Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee of MPs recommended last year that social tariffs be introduced, along with other reforms to help vulnerable households stay warm each winter.

Voters of all parties backed the plans, with 68 per cent of 2019 Labour voters, 60 per cent of 2019 Lib Dems and 54 per cent of 2019 Conservative voters supporting a social tariff. 

The policy is most popular in Scotland (61 per cent) and even in London more than half back the proposals (51 per cent).

When it comes to paying for the policy, a quarter of voters believed that it should be fully funded through the energy industry (producers, networks and suppliers). 

A similar number backed a mix of government funding and energy industry contributions.

Warm This Winter said that more than £427billion in profits have been generated by firms since the start of the energy bills crisis, up £7billion since the last update in April 2024. 

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: ‘Protecting vulnerable consumers from energy prices that remain way above 2021 levels is a popular and easy to implement policy that the next Government must prioritise.’

Warm This Winter spokesperson Fiona Waters said: ‘Energy bills will go up again in October and years of staggering prices have taken their toll.

‘This is why we need the next government to act quickly after the election to end energy debt, protect households from the volatile global energy market, bring down bills for good, improve housing standards and make Britain a clean energy superpower.’