A new “social tariff” should be brought in to help four million low-income households with energy bills, campaigners say.
They want regulator Ofgem to back the scheme to slash costs for the most vulnerable.
On Tuesday MPs will grill Ofgem, energy suppliers and consumer groups at a hearing of the House of Commons Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy committee. Campaign group National Energy Action says hard up families will be more than £500-a-year worse off after a record 54 per cent hike in Ofgem’s energy price cap.
It means bills will be allowed to soar from April by an average of £693 a year, to £1,971, on standard tariffs.
For 4.5 million homes on pre-payment meters, bills will leap by £708 to £2,017.
NEA policy chief Peter Smith said the proposed social tariff would be “considerably less” than the standard one. He said: “We want to protect those on the lowest incomes.
“Ofgem have to set out clearly how they are going to support vulnerable customers through the energy crisis.”
