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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Ashley Cowburn

Brits must 'take responsibility' for bills when energy support ends, Jeremy Hunt warns

Jeremy Hunt has warned universal energy bills support will not continue beyond spring 2024 - even if household bills remain high.

The Chancellor said people will "have to take responsibility" for their bills as he urged the public to "play your part" in cutting usage.

Appearing at the Treasury Committee, Mr Hunt said the scheme to help households will cost £80 billion this year and "possibly around half that next year".

The Chancellor extended the support until April 2024 - but increased the cost the average household will pay from £2,500 to £3,000 from April.

He told MPs it will be scaled back afterwards with support instead targeted at the poorest households.

Mr Hunt said: "We are saying to people that in the end everyone is going to have to take responsibility for their energy bills.

Jeremy Hunt appearing at the Treasury Committee (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

"They are going to have to think about how they reduce their energy consumption because it is a national mission to make sure that we can't be blackmailed by Putin when they do things that interrupt international energy supplies".

Mr Hunt also told MPs that if the public reduced their energy usage by 15% they could save £500 per year on bills.

He said: "In the long run we're going to need everything to help crack this problem if we're not going to have a huge additional burden on taxpayers which will ultimately lead to the high taxes that I certainly don't believe are desirable."

He said while the Government will support the most vulnerable, "for most people we need you to play your part in reducing our energy dependency on what Putin chooses to do in Ukraine ".

"That's why we've got this national ambition to reduce energy consumption by 15% - the EU ambition is 13% - other countries are doing the same thing.

The Chancellor said Brits could save £500 per year if they reduce enegy useage by 15% (PA)

"That isn't just a national level, that's for every household."

During a grilling from MPs at the Treasury Committee, Mr Hunt also issued a carefully worded denial that he was the source of a story in The Sunday Times suggesting the Government was considering closer ties with the EU.

It was reported officials were planning to put the UK on a path towards a Swiss-style relationship with the bloc and access the single market.

But the Chancellor said on Wednesday: "I am not and the Treasury is not the source of any suggestion that we want to move away from the TCA [Trade Cooperation Agreement] or not have sovereign control of our regulations".

He said the Government would "not contemplate" any deal which would result in moving away from the agreement.

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