Jamie Stone says energy price hikes will be 'hammer blow' to families and businesses

Jamie Stone is urging the UK government to cancel plans that will raise average household energy bills by £500 in April and bring in a tax on the “bonanza bonuses” of oil and gas bosses.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for cuts to people's bills instead, combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals.

In April the government is planning to increase the energy price guarantee by £500.

The Lib Dems say their plans would mean that in the Highlands the average household would be £526.85 better off. In total the Highland area would save £53,447,259.

Lib Dems have said new price hikes now will be a “hammer blow” to families and businesses already struggling and that action is needed now to save people from a “cost-of-living cliff edge”.

Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have set out their plan to tackle the energy crisis including:

• A windfall tax on oil and gas companies to raise billions of pounds
• A cancellation of the government's £500 energy bill rise in April
• A one-off bonus tax on oil and gas executives
• Doubling the Warm Home Discount to £300.
• A U-turn on plans to cut energy bill support for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals by 85 per cent, and instead extend current levels of support for another six months.

Mr Stone, the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: “The Conservatives’ plan to hike energy bills in April will come as a hammer blow to families in the far north already struggling with soaring mortgages and rents, shopping bills and tax rises.

“With no plan to deal with this cost-of-living crisis for people or businesses, this chaotic, out-of-touch government is instead making it much worse because they just don’t get it.

“People need real support and that’s what I'm calling for. Sadly, to add insult to injury, Rishi Sunak is happy for energy bosses to rake in millions of pounds in bonanza bonuses, while families struggle to put food on the table or heat their homes."

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “Rishi Sunak must act now to save families from a cost-of-living cliff edge, by cutting energy bills instead of increasing them.

"People deserve a fair deal – with a large cut to their energy bills, paid for by a proper windfall tax and a one-off levy on the bonuses of oil and gas bosses.”

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