A West Somerset MP has called for a new approach to tackling fuel poverty and rising energy costs.
Rachel Gilmour, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has described new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plan to remove VAT from domestic electricity as “tinkering” and warned it does not go far enough to help people in rural areas.
The government’s plan to cut VAT on electricity to zero from Thursday, October 1, would save the average household about £45 a year.
Ms Gilmour said: "We need to get money back into the pockets of people in my constituency, but tinkering with VAT on energy bills simply doesn't cut it.
"It is a drop in the ocean compared to the soaring costs families are facing."
She argued that the Essential Energy Guarantee proposed by the Liberal Democrats would offer broader and fairer support, saving the average household £100 a year and more than double the government’s scheme.
The poorest 20 per cent of households would save £140 a year under the Lib Dem plan, which would give every household a basic energy allowance - equivalent to half of average consumption - at a discounted rate.
Additional support would be given to families with children, disabled people and those on the lowest incomes.
The scheme would be funded by redirecting £7bn in windfall profits from energy network operators.
Ms Gilmour said: "The Liberal Democrat plans for an Essential Energy Guarantee and calls for a three-month cut to VAT on heating oil would provide immediate and meaningful relief, ensuring that nobody in Tiverton and Minehead is forced to choose between heating and eating."
She also criticised Labour’s proposal for overlooking off-grid households who rely on heating oil, adding: “We may have a new Prime Minister, but Labour’s blind spot remains; they simply do not understand rural Britain.
Once again, households in our community that rely on heating oil risk being left out in the cold.
"Heating your home is not a luxury; it is a fundamental need.
She said: "It’s a scandal that 5,382 households in our area worry every day about keeping their homes warm."
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