Labour has called for an urgent “national sprint” to build a clean, green, secure energy future that will improve the UK’s energy sovereignty and cut energy bills for working people.
In the wake of sky-rocketing global gas prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero Ed Miliband has called on the Government to ramp up ambition on home-grown renewable and nuclear energy, as well as calling for a national home insulation programme to cut bills and cut gas imports.
Labour has said that the Government’s decade of failure on renewables, on nuclear, and on energy efficiency has left the UK vulnerable during this crisis.
Ed Miliband said
From home energy efficiency to onshore and offshore wind, hydrogen and tidal to solar and nuclear power, it is time to turbocharge the shift to green energy. This is the safest, quickest route to national energy security. In doing so, we can create good jobs and a vibrant economic future for the whole nation.
Labour’s plan to improve the energy efficiency of 19 million homes over a decade would cut UK gas imports by 15% and save up to £400 off the average energy bill for families.
On a visit to the University of Salford with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, praised the devolved administrations for leading ambitious energy efficiency programmes but called on the Government to do more to back these schemes to create jobs and bring down bills.
Investing in clean power and energy efficiency will support good jobs in every region of the UK, crowding in investment to boost British businesses and enhance domestic supply chains.
Miliband also said that the government was looking over its shoulder at its climate sceptics who have effectively hampered the drive towards green power, including the decision in 2015 to ban onshore wind, the cheapest fuel available, which has meant we lost more home-grown power than the total sum of all Russian imports in the time since.
Miliband also underlined Labour’s opposition to any new fracking, pointing out that:
The answer to a fossil fuel crisis is not to double down on fossil fuels with a dangerous lurch towards fracking.
To help ease the immediate hit of the energy crisis, Labour proposed back in January to use a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas producers to cut household energy costs by up to £600, including through removing VAT from energy bills.
Labour have repeatedly warned the Tories to act to prevent a cost of living crisis affecting millions of families across the country
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