Listening to our politicians, you’d think the energy bills crisis is over. But people we are working with in communities across Britain have something very different to say. From Yorkshire’s ex-mining towns to converted office buildings in Harrow, families are still being forced to choose between shivering in cold, damp rooms or going into debt just to keep warm.

They are far from alone. The government’s decision to cut the emergency support package prematurely, means one third of us face higher energy bills this winter than last. For the lowest income households, it’s almost half. Politicians have moved on, leaving the rest of us out in the cold.

When essentials, such as heating, are unaffordable for so many, it is a sign that our economy is fundamentally broken.

We all know fundamental problems require fundamental change. As the climate crisis intensifies and more and more wealth is hoarded by the already rich and powerful, inflation is here to stay and future price shocks are inevitable. We need to give politicians the tools and the courage to do what’s needed.

With your help, we can design fully costed, ready-to-go policies to help people in the here and now, and also kick our expensive addiction to fossil fuels.

A basic level of energy is a necessity. Nobody should be forced to turn off their fridge through fear of a bill dropping through their letterbox. If the government adopted NEF’s National Energy Guarantee, everyone would receive an essential amount of subsidised energy, with the tariff rising for higher use.

80% of us would save money, with those on the lowest incomes seeing their bills slashed by over £1,000. All costing much less than the government’s price freeze. And unlike the government alternative, the wealthiest households – by far the biggest energy consumers – would be incentivised to cut their usage and insulate their homes.

Alongside our Great Homes Upgrade campaign to retrofit every home in the UK, and public investment in low-carbon jobs, the National Energy Guarantee is a key ingredient in taking us to the economy of the future in a way that’s fair for ordinary people – the only way that public support for net zero can be maintained.

Unfortunately good ideas don’t automatically win out, especially when fossil fuel giants profiting from the chaos have a direct line to Westminster. Politicians need to see how they will work and that they will be popular. We need your support to build power and momentum behind our transformational policies. With a donation of £25 we can:

  • Build public support: Over 650,000 people and 60 organisations have already signed the Energy For All campaign calling for a National Energy Guarantee.
  • Turn local wins into national change: We’re supporting people across the country in their fights for better homes, higher incomes and a healthy environment. Help us tell their stories and scale up their victories into system-changing movements.
  • Build pressure in parliament: The Green New Deal group of MPs have already tabled a National Energy Guarantee amendment to the Energy Bill. Hundreds of new MPs are about to be elected with expectations from constituents for help with the cost of living and a mandate to reach net zero. We need support to increase our reach into parliament.
  • Get the energy bills back up the agenda: We want to create momentum in the media through up-to-date analysis, responding to events and personal stories of how bills are affecting people.

With a general election on the horizon, now is the time to build support for fully costed measures that can actually solve our problems. We understand that times are tough but if you can afford to, please give today to help those vulnerable to future shocks and create long-term change that is ready to go.

Thank you

Hannah Peaker
Director of Policy and Advocacy

New Economics Foundation

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