In 2013 David Cameron famously ordered his aides to ‘get rid of all the green c**p’ from household gas and electricity bills, to force down what he regarded as excessive energy charges. He quickly relented after a storm of protests from environmentalists.
Tory backbenchers want to end those green stealth tax. They will be difficult to deflect with the predicted double-digit increase in energy bills over the next months.
A spike in wholesale gasoline prices is responsible for a lot of this increase, something the government cannot control. We are now net importers and subject to a volatile international market, as we have reduced our North Sea production for the pursuit of Carbon Zero.
In 2013 David Cameron ordered aides to ‘get rid of all the green c**p’ from household power bills. Boris Johnson would not like to lower the levies after he preached Net Zero at Cop26.
However, ministers can do more to reduce environmental levies. They are no longer high, even if Cameron believed they were.
These were only seven percent of an average dual-fuel bill in 2015, and by 2020 they had doubled to 15%. It now accounts for 25% of electricity bills.
Boris Johnson, who has just preached Net Zero Gospel at Cop26, would not like to see the levies reduced.
Also, they are used to fund a range of initiatives – from subsidising renewables to providing energy discounts for poorer pensioners – which would otherwise have to come from general taxation.
However, many of these schemes exist for decades. Their effectiveness should be reviewed.
Is it defensible, for example, to pay nearly £1billion a year to the Drax power station in Yorkshire to burn vast amounts of imported wood chips, which environmentalists say does little to mitigate climate change and encourages deforestation?
Every green tax must be examined by the Government to ensure they are cost-effective, necessary and contribute significantly towards limiting climate change.
Inflation at 6 percent and a possible rise in national insured are likely to cause a serious cost of living crisis. The elderly and poor will be most affected by spiralling energy prices.
Every green tax must be examined by the Government to determine if they are needed, efficient and contribute significantly towards limiting climate change.
All items that don’t meet all the criteria must be thrown out.
The paper is passionate about protecting the environment. However, families with hard lives shouldn’t be forced to take the political price.
We must take good care of our carers
The heartbreaking aspect of this pandemic is that of millions of unpaid caregivers, often elderly couples.
This has made it much harder for them to access respite or help, and this has resulted in what Age UK calls an epidemic of isolation.
There are currently 3.6million unpaid senior carers. This is 1.5 million more than the number when Covid was first introduced. The country owes them an enormous debt – both moral and financial. We have a responsibility to offer them the help they deserve.
You need to rethink your house arrest
UK Health Security Agency refused to reduce the Covid isolation duration from seven to five days, arguing that “between 10 to 30% of people would still have infectious disease.”
That leaves at least 70% of the workforce who are able to return to work. This keeps industry humming and hospitals from being overwhelmed by absences.
Regular testing can identify individuals who have the virus within five days. They will be able to return to their normal duties while others testing positive.
Yesterday France and America joined Greece and Greece in cutting quarantine down to just five days. Why wouldn’t we do the same?