Good Morning Britain host Ranvir Singh grilled Conservative MP Grant Shapps over the unfolding energy crisis on Friday's instalment of the morning show.
The energy crisis is expected to deepen in the coming months, with rising global energy prices pushing the energy price cap to more than £4,200 in January, according to estimates – more than double its current level.
The bill increase is expected to add to inflation, which reached an eye watering 10.1% this week.
A director at Ofgem resigned yesterday as she accused the energy regulator of favouring businesses over consumers.
TV presenters Ranvir and co-host Paul Brand quizzed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on the worsening crisis amid the ongoing Tory leadership contest.
Ranvir raised the comparatively lower energy bills in France, asking the MP: “If France can do it, why can’t the UK keep our bills down?”
The MP replied: “It’s worth thinking about how we get our energy. Fortunately we’re not massively exposed to Russia in quite the same way.
“We're exposed to the international market and I think it’s just a question to look at why other countries have lower bills and try to find ways to make sure our bills are lower as well.”
Ranvir came in to slam the noncommittal response, saying: “Just to be clear, at the moment there’s a Tory leadership contest going on for another couple of weeks.
“The NHS says there is a humanitarian crisis. People have been emailing, tweeting us this morning about the hundreds and hundreds of pounds they are expected to pay and they simply don’t know how they’re going to do it.”
She continued: “The government is just sitting around waiting for this Tory leadership contest to be completed at the beginning of September. You’re dropping the ball on this again. It’s completely unacceptable, isn’t it?”
Shapps then cut in to say of the leadership race: “You make it sound like a very long way off, but it’s only a couple of weeks.”
Ranvir then replied: “People are texting in saying they are panicking today about this. Two weeks is a long time. There’s school uniforms to be bought, bills to be saved for. We’ve got the energy price cap coming up.”
The MP replied: “I understand that. It’s as if from what you're saying £37 billion hasn’t been put into tackling the energy crisis.
“People haven't seen that yet because it comes in with the colder weather. People haven't seen that support yet.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
