The government's decision to end the energy price guarantee in April will "make a huge difference", according to a Bristol organisation. The Bristol Energy Network said the latest government change will push more people into fuel poverty.
The new chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed this morning that the energy price guarantee, as originally announced, will only last until April as it would be wrong to make such a long-term spending commitment. Mr Hunt said there will then be a review and a more targeted system will then be put in place.
Rachel Moffat - co-ordinator at Bristol Energy Network, an umbrella organisation for individuals and community groups with an interest in energy in Bristol and the surrounding area - said the fact the energy price guarantee will now finish in April - rather than two years as originally announced - will push more people into fuel poverty. Without the price cap guarantee, which was set at £2,500, bills would rise to an average of £3,300, she added.
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"It is going to make a huge difference," she said. "By April, people will be using less energy but it will cost them a lot more at that point.
"There will be this hike in costs which is frustrating as people may have been saving and budgeting for the Winter, but may not have thought about it beyond that point."
Ms Moffat called for more directed, targeted support for those who need it the most and, for example, a way to do this would be to increase the warm homes discount. The co-ordinator said that fuel prices will not be going down in the near future so more needs to be done around retrofitting.
Retrofitting allows people to bring their bills down by reducing their usage, she continued, adding the cheapest energy is that one that doesn't get used.
"It [the current situation] is totally overwhelming and people are really in a panic," she added. "One moment you get told it will cost this much and then it changes again and again.
"If you are someone who lives month to month, how are you supposed to adapt to these changes?
"I think people are feeling fed up but also nervous and panicky. We want people to feel more control as everything seems so chaotic and out of control at the moment - it is so unsettling for everyone.
"That is why we are going to be running draft proofing workshops to help people through this Winter.
"We are a non-political organisation, but I do not think they are thinking from the perspective of someone who is thinking do I get a meal or put the heating on - no one is thinking of them.
"It is not being thought from the perspective of someone who is vulnerable and struggling to pay their bills. We need to think a lot more of the people who are most vulnerable in our society."
You can donate to the organisation's Emergency Winter Fuel Fund here.
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