Renfrewshire Lib Dems set out plan to halve energy bills in a decade

Renfrewshire Lib Dems set out plan to halve energy bills in a decade

• Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey announced a policy to halve energy bills for people across the country.
• Lib Dem plan would break the link between gas prices and energy costs, so people can enjoy the benefits of cheap, clean power.
• Grant Toghill, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Renfrewshire, has backed their party’s new policy and demanded that the Government draw up plans.

In a major speech last week, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey announced the Liberal Democrats would aim to halve energy bills in a decade by breaking the link between gas prices and electricity prices.

Grant Toghill and the party are also calling for investment in cheap renewable power and home upgrades to be accelerated.

Right now, the cost of electricity is set by the price of gas 97% of the time – even though half of our electricity comes from renewables, which are much cheaper than gas.

Their policy would break the link between gas prices and electricity costs, so people get the benefits of cheap, clean power. The move would slash a typical household’s energy bills by £870 by 2035, down from £1,720 currently.

A key part of the proposal is moving older, expensive renewable projects to cheaper Contracts for Difference – which were pioneered by Ed Davey when he was Energy Secretary. It is estimated by experts that this move alone could cut bills by about £200 a year for a typical household.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Renfrewshire, Grant Toghill, said:

“Energy bills are too high. For years, families and pensioners in Renfrewshire have been clobbered with rising bills.

“Years of failure under the Conservatives pushed up everyone’s bills. And the Labour Government has failed to make cutting people's bills the priority it should be.

“We need change - we need action to fix the cost of living crisis.  The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear plan to halve energy bills and are calling on the Government to take these plans on and put them in place.

“So many people tell me they’re struggling to make ends meet, their bills are spiralling every month, and they’re having to make tough choices just to make ends meet.

“By breaking the link between gas prices and energy costs, people can enjoy the true benefits of cheap, clean, renewable power.

“The Liberal Democrats in Renfrewshire are standing up for our community and have a plan to cut bills, now the Government needs to act.”