In a move that will probably do little more than line energy executives’ pockets, Cameron has promised to roll back green taxes. He blames (or pretends to blame) green regulations introduced by the previous government for people’s rising energy bills, even though the money goes towards energy-saving home improvements.
Quite apart from the environmental implications, giving tax breaks to energy companies is hardly an effective way to help people on the breadline pay their bills. Even if customers saw the savings, which is doubtful, they’d be spread so thinly among those who need them and those who don’t that the effect would be negligible.
A far more sensible approach, if the aim really is to help people, would be to increase fuel subsidies for low-income households and make them more widely available.
Tell Cameron to keep the green regulations and direct resources where they’re needed, which is not tax breaks for energy companies, but rather energy support for low-income households.
We the undersigned ask that you do not roll back green regulations on energy companies in the name of reducing people’s bills. The logic here is shaky at best and cynical at worst – this is hardly an efficient way to help struggling people pay their household bills – and seems to be little more than another way for our “greenest government ever” to prop up the fossil fuel industry.
We don’t believe that this move will significantly reduce energy costs where it matters and we don’t believe the environment is a price worth paying.
There are better, more efficient ways to help low-income households than providing tax breaks for energy companies.
Please direct resources where they are needed, in the form of additional financial support for those on low incomes to pay energy bills and further assistance on home insulation, and not squander them on unnecessary cushions for the energy companies.
Thank you for your attention
