Adam Scorer calls for ‘targeted financial support’ on energy bills
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As the energy crisis is seeing bills reach record highs for millions of Britons during the cost of living crisis, a well-off bunch are still getting the Government’s winter discount perhaps unnecessarily. Josh Glancy says he earns above the average salary, has no kids and has no problems paying his bills. He noted he already had £246 in his Octopus Energy account on October 1, the same date the Government’s £400 winter discount was to start pouring into people’s accounts. This is one of the measures Westminster has rolled out to help alleviate the burden of surging prices.
First announced by the shortest-serving Prime Minister in history, Liz Truss, it was perhaps one of the only measures she took which, at the time, did not spark the controversy or market chaos that led to her quick downfall.
The former Prime Minister was also known for constantly making reference to Russia’s war in Ukraine when defending her policies and explaining the current economic problems crippling the country. While this conflict certainly has sent shockwaves down global energy markets, the popular multi-billion pound measure to address this issue could have its flaws.
This is because everyone is entitled to the discount, whether you live in a million-pound mansion for one or in a council flat with five kids.
Mr Glancy, who detailed his fortunate circumstances in The Sunday Times, explained: “The first bill arrived, on December 11. I’d spent about £140 on gas and electricity, but the kind souls at His Majesty’s Treasury had sent me almost £200 in subsidies. So I was sitting pretty on £301 and starting to enjoy this winter more than I expected. I began to relax.”
He later added: “The same thing happened with my next bill. The moment I submitted my meter reading, unusually low because I’d been away over the holidays, Rishi rode to the rescue once more with an unsolicited £67. So right now I’m back up to £292 in my account, above where I started in October.”
This is despite the fact that Mr Glancy says he earns more than the average salary, does not have kids and has no problems paying his bills. He even noted that he “wouldn’t mind paying slightly higher ones” to help stick it to Putin, and jokingly likened the temperature in his home in northwest London to a Finnish sauna.
But he is not the only one in this predicament. He wrote: “I asked around and soon discovered that I’m not alone in this weird position. Friends, colleagues, members of the great British public — many thousands find the Government paying their bills for no real reason. Some generous souls have given the extra cash away.”
Guy Herbert, 60, runs a literary agency and says he is reasonably well-off. While living alone and experiencing the bill increase like everyone else, he said the price hike is not too much of a strain for him.
He told The Sunday Times: “It makes me feel slightly amazed, frankly. I simply don’t need the same subsidy as someone with a £1,600-a-month bill. The Government is solving a problem I don’t have.”
National Energy Action, a fuel poverty charity, is calling for those who do not need the unnecessary extra cash from the Government to donate it to help the vulnerable.
Its website says: “Energy bills are rocketing at unprecedented levels and this winter is set to leave millions more people in fuel poverty.
“In response to the unaffordable energy bills people across the country are now facing, the Government will be giving every household a £400 grant toward the cost of bills over six months.
While the Government has also announced additional support for vulnerable and low-income households, for many, this now simply isn’t enough.”
This organisation is one of serval fuel poverty charities urging well-off Britons to do the same thing. According to a report in the Financial Times, Christians Against Poverty handed out nearly triple the amount of emergency energy top-up vouchers in July as it did last year. These go towards putting credit on people’s prepayment energy meters.
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Alex Jones, CAP’s head of fundraising, said “The reality is that this crisis is already impacting people and further help is needed. For those on the lowest incomes, the increasing cost of living equals a decreasing sense of hope. That’s why we are welcoming any support people can give.”
The Government has previously defended the scheme by saying: “Our energy bills support scheme, providing a £400 discount, is designed to reach households as quickly and efficiently as possible this winter. We make no apology for this, recognising the widespread pressure on household budgets from high energy bills.
“We’re also providing additional means-tested support targeting around 8 million of the most vulnerable households, who will receive at least £1,200 each.”
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