For immediate release

Rutherglen Constituency MSP, Clare Haughey has said that “Labour’s broken promises will hit households with an extra £470 on their energy bills” – after Ofgem have confirmed that household energy bills will rise again in January.

Last month, changes to the energy price cap had already seen energy bills rise by 10% – adding an extra £149 to the average household bill.  The latest news comes after a week of weather warnings, and freezing temperatures across Scotland.

During the general election campaign, Keir Starmer promised a UK Labour Government would  “tackle the root causes of the cost-of-living crisis, and help families save up to £300 off their energy bills”. 

Since Labour came into power on this promise of a £300 cut to bills, Ms Haughey says this second fuel bill rise means that Labour’s broken promises on energy bills will now amount to an average cost of £470 per household.

She added that she raised the issue in Parliament, and The First Minister agreed that people must be “stunned” that they are seeing a second increase in their bills, having been promised a reduction by Labour – adding that it is “a very serious situation that pensioners in particular are facing”.

A pensioner, who received the Winter Fuel Payment and the £300 Cost of Living Payment last year, will be up to £600 worse off this winter – after the Labour Government abolished both payments for the overwhelming majority of pensioners.

Commenting, Clare Haughey said:

“Residents in Rutherglen and Cambuslang will remember Labour leaflets sailing through their letterboxes this summer, promising a £300 reduction in energy bills.

“But recently their MP, Mr Shanks, sat in a Westminster committee and furiously backpeddled, saying Labour ‘made no pledge’ to reduce bills ‘in 100 days, a year, or two years’.

“Those same residents are now faced with a £470 price rise, never mind any sort of reduction.  They will be rightly asking the UK Labour Government if and when this election pledge is ever going to happen, and feeling incredibly let down.

“The UK Government must publish a clear timetable now – or admit if it’s destined to be yet another broken promise from the Labour Party.”

ENDS