Energy bills help ‘doesn’t go far enough’

Households in the West Midlands said they want to see the government revisit energy bills in the wake of the Budget – amid concerns the help being offered won’t go far enough.

Chancellor John Healey announced a £100 ‘household energy payment’, and a future plan to remove gas standing charges, as part of a wider package to address the cost of living.

Families in the region told the BBC they were “grateful” for the assistance, but were concerned about their finances over the winter.

Kelly Birkett, a personal accountant from Redditch, said: “The £100 is good, but it’s not great. It just gets absorbed into everything else families have to pay for, just to get by.”

Birkett, a married mum-of-two, said her family was already considering what to cut back on in the wake of the Budget.

“I know I sound a little but ungrateful for the £100, and I don’t want to be. I’m certainly not ungrateful,” she said.

“But in reality we’re no better off. With the temperatures dropping we know the heating will have to be on, the children can’t be cold.

“We’ll dig deep to make sure we’re a little more conservative when it comes to the heating, but for sure it’s something most families will be worried about (the winter.)”