Energy bills could go up even further for UK customers amid reports the Government is planning to introduce new charges on gas.
According to The Times a new strategy will be published before the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow next month, which commits the Government to cutting the price of electricity and imposing a levy on gas bills to fund low-carbon heating.
On Monday, the Prime Minister said Britain was aiming to produce “clean power” by 2035 as part of the country’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions; and earlier this week, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng insisted that by decarbonising the UK’s power supply, the Government would ensure that households are less vulnerable to swings in fossil fuel markets.
he Government will release a series of consultations before going ahead with the plan, which is likely to start in 2023 and could add £170 a year to gas bills, the paper reported.
The strategy will reportedly include measures to boost the sale of heat pumps, which according to the GMB union costs £8,750 on average before VAT – the equivalent to almost a third (31%) of the average household’s entire annual income.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy told the Times: “We’ll set out our upcoming heat and buildings strategy shortly. No decisions have been made.”
Read more: Green energy levies on gas could hike prices further (all planned)
