Responding to Liz Truss’s resignation as Prime Minister, Liberal Democrat candidate for Stone, Alec Sandiford said:
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by alecsandiford on 11 January, 2022
| Rural areas set to be hit hardest by energy bill price hike, including Stone and Staffordshire Moorlands who will pay £714 more from April |
| Rural areas in England and Wales will be hit hardest by the expected rise in energy bills in April, new research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. New analysis of ONS data by the party shows median bills are expected to rise by an average of £598, while many largely rural areas will see increases of £700 or more.Of the 20 local authorities with the highest increase in bills, 16 are only represented by Conservative MPs. This includes the constituencies of Stone and Staffordshire Moorlands, where people face an average rise of £714, one of the highest rises in England. People living on the Scilly Isles face average increases of £968, higher than anywhere in the country.It comes as energy bills are expected to rise to unprecedented levels in April, with experts warning the new energy price cap is expected to be around £1,865. Bills are then expected to rise above £2,000 when the price cap is revised again in the Autumn.Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Spokesperson for Stone, Alec Sandiford said:“It is hardly surprising that it is people in rural areas who are facing the biggest rises in bills this year. This is yet more evidence that the Conservatives are taking our rural communities for granted.“Families are facing an energy bill nightmare, while the government is asleep at the wheel. They’ve failed to do anything to protect vulnerable people from this cost of living crisis.“Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent support for families through the doubling and expansion of the Warm Home Discount Scheme and the doubling of the Winter Fuel Payments, to protect vulnerable people this winter. This would be funded by a one-off ‘Robin Hood Tax’ on the super- profits of gas and oil companies and traders who are raking it in hand over fist.”ENDSNotes to editorsFull data by local authority is available here (Source: Energy efficiency of Housing, England and Wales, local authority districts – Office for National Statistics – March 2021).This data is from the end of March 2021 – the price cap level at the time was £1,042 (prior to the increase in the price cap on April 1st 2021).The expected price cap in April 2022 is £1,865 by energy experts Cornwall Insights. The difference is £823, a 79% increase. This percentage has been used to project the increase in median bills.Top 20 local authority median bills by expected increaseRankingLocal authority district nameMedian Bills – March 2021Expected Median Bills – April 2022Difference MPs1Isles of Scilly£1,227£2,196£969Derek Thomas – St Ives – Con 2Ceredigion£1,092£1,955£863Ben Lake – Ceredigion – Plaid3Eden£1,056£1,890£834Neil Hudson – Penrith and the Border – Con4Gwynedd£1,016£1,819£803Liz Saville Roberts – Dwyfor Meirionnydd – Plaid Hywel Williams – Arfon – Plaid5Carmarthenshire£958£1,715£757Simon Hart -Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire – Con Nia Griffith – Llanelli – Lab Jonathan Edwards -Carmarthen East & Dinefwr – Ind6Powys£953£1,706£753Fay Jones – Brecon and Radnorshire – Con Craig Williams – Montgomeryshire – Con7Ryedale£939£1,681£742Kevin Hollinrake – Thirsk and Malton – Con8Pendle£937£1,677£740Andrew Stephenson – Pendle – Con9Derbyshire Dales£936£1,675£739Sarah Dines – Derbyshire Dales – Con10Richmondshire£933£1,670£737Rishi Sunak – Richmond (Yorks) – Con11Isle of Anglesey£918£1,643£725Virginia Crosbie – Ynys Môn – Con12West Devon£909£1,627£718Geoffrey Cox – Torridge and West Devon – Con Mel Stride – Central Devon – Con13South Lakeland£907£1,624£717Tim Farron – Westmorland and Lonsdale – Lib Dem Simon Fell – Barrow and Furness – Con14Melton£907£1,624£717Alicia Kearns – Rutland and Melton – Con15Staffordshire Moorlands£904£1,618£714Karen Bradley – Staffordshire Moorlands – Con Bill Cash – Stone – Con16Castle Point£896£1,604£708Rebecca Harris – Castle Point – Con17Pembrokeshire£896£1,604£708Simon Hart -Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire – Con Stephen Crabb – Preseli Pembrokeshire – Con18Hambleton£895£1,602£707Rishi Sunak – Richmond (Yorks) – Con Kevin Hollinrake – Thirsk and Malton – Con19Denbighshire£895£1,602£707James Davies – Vale of Clwyd – Con David Jones – Clwyd West – Con Simon Baynes – Clwyd South – Con20Harrogate£894£1,600£706Andrew Jones – Harrogate and Knaresborough – Con |
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