Energy providers have warned that the cost of gas and electricity is expected to sky-rocket by a ridiculous 50% over the next six years. Britain’s ‘big six’ energy companies – British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON UK, npower, Scottish Power and SSE – have already started to raise prices, just as winter sets in, with an average increase of over £100 a year.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey told audiences on Newsnight that even he “wear[s] a jumper at home”.
“If you insulate your home more you can turn your heating down,” he further advised. Unfortunately some providers have only completed as little as 2% of the work planned for their insulations schemes, despite the fact that a whopping half of the allotted time has already elapsed – and despite the companies insisting that it is green initiatives forcing them to increase prices!
And for Mr Davey’s final suggestion? “Switch!” Again, helpful only if the energy providers are focused on providing a fairly priced service rather than making obscene profits. Meanwhile, the boss of Centrica, which owns British Gas, has also jumped (ouch) on the bandwagon, suggesting that people wear not one but two jumpers to keep warm.
Asked if our dear PM agreed that people could just put an extra jumper on and stop moaning, a spokesperson from Downing Street responded: “He is not going to prescribe the actions that individuals should take but if people are giving that advice that is something that people may wish to consider.”