Energy crisis: MPs claimed total of £420,000 in expenses on their bills – new report

Energy price rise to push poverty deaths 'through the roof'

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UK households are currently reeling from the impacts of a massive global energy crisis, fuelled by a post-pandemic economy demand and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last week, Ofgem raised the price cap for household energy bills by nearly £700 pounds. Amidst this crisis, a report has revealed how much of their energy bills have the UK members of Parliament claimed as expenses.

OpenDemocracy claims to have found that, collectively, British MPs have billed the UK taxpayer £420,000 for heating bills in their second homes over the last three years.

The report is based on the expenses claims lodged by MPs and available publicly.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is among the 405 MPs who have claimed expenses for the electricity and gas bills since April 2019.

Meanwhile, the 54 percent price cap increase means that the average UK household is now paying £1,971 per year for energy expenses.

Analysts have also warned that the Russian invasion could push energy bills further, with predictions going as high as £2,600 pounds per year.

George Freeman, the science minister, who is in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has claimed £1,565 for electricity and other fuel.

Meanwhile, the political analysis platform claims that Ms Truss has billed the taxpayer for £1,548 in gas and electricity expenses.

They add that two senior Treasury ministers – Simon Clarke and John Glen also claimed expenses for household energy.

Suella Braverman, the Government’s attorney general reportedly charged a massive bill of £3,945 for electricity and heating.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the Government have faced accusations of being out of touch after failing to provide more support for struggling households.

Fuel has been added to the fire after last week’s increase in the energy price cap coincided with the day MPs received a more than £2,000 pay rise.

Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary who resigned from office following a scandal, is said to have claimed a staggering £4,800 on energy costs – most of which occurred during the pandemic.

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According to the report, Labour MP Liam Byrne racked up the largest energy bill in his second home, charging taxpayers some £7,808 over three years.

The expenses system allows MPs to claim utility bills at their second home if their constituencies are outside London

Mr Sunak last month announced plans to help households with a £350 per household rebate package, although critics say it is nowhere near enough to mitigate the rising costs.

Organisations such as the TaxPayers’ Alliance have been calling on ministers to scrap the green levy imposed on energy bills by the Government to help keep costs manageable.

The new, higher energy price cap has come into force on the same day MPs have received a £2,200 pay rise.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which sets the pay of MPs, said it was increasing the parliamentarians’ pay by 2.7 percent from £81,932 to £84,144 because of a “dramatically increased” workload over the past year.

Express.co.uk has reached out to the MPs mentioned in this article for comment.

MP Liam Byrne pointed out that “this figure includes a significant rebate which is owed by our energy company Ovo back to IPSA for overcharging.”

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