If you can’t bet em, join em. Surprisingly, after many years of being the Victor Meldrew of power consumption at Chateau Ellis, my wife has turned to the dark side. Questions I would pose such as ‘Why is every light in the house on?’ were previously met with disdain, or even worse, ignored. But last week she succumbed to my way of thinking, thanks solely to the media, who have been gently telling us, sledgehammer-nut style, about the huge hikes in energy bills that are just around the corner.

Still, it deflects attention away from the awful events in Ukraine and their less than subtle insinuations that we could soon by nuked by Vlad and his highly paid impalers, so a change in press emphasis is welcomed, oh, and while we’re at it, whatever happened to Covid?

So, energy bills are ‘rising’ seems to be the collective mantra. The hikes will add a whopping 50% or thereabouts to the average energy bill which, if they can get away with it, sets, like council tax rises, a precedent for future years no doubt.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Domestic fuel bills are predicted to rise by around 50%

We are already being squeezed: filling a fuel tank up is akin to being forced to make a purchase at Hugo Boss. Inflation is at 5.5% (the largest annual increase since records began) yet wages are stagnant. Government legislates that council taxes cannot rise by more than 2.99% per year, so, you’ve guessed it, it is estimated that 68% of UK councils will raise their rates by the maximum, again, in 2022.

And so, as we are wont to do, we act reactively and not proactively. Now I am a believer that most problems have a solution: governments, our elected representatives and captains of industry alike seem to take a different track, instead choosing to apportion blame, whilst side stepping solutions prior to telling us ‘regrettably’ about ruinous price rises due to spurious reasons that MUST be passed on to the consumer.

Now ‘profit’ is not, and should not, be a dirty word. Yet, in these current times, with rising levels of household debt, bankruptcies, homelessness and mental health issues, we must ask: could they not be overcome if companies and governments acted upon their ‘be kind’ rhetoric?

The big six energy providers made over £1 billion in profit over the previous 12 months. The government, milking the cash cow of fuel, charge 51% tax on the cost of fuel at the pumps. Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan hits poorer motorists harder with the ultra low emissions zone (Ulez), and the Government continues to push the carbon neutral agenda despite it being but a folly.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Gas prices were rising well before the invasion of Ukraine

Then the cost of wholesale gas prices is blamed. Now having at an amateur level traded gas (for fun I might add!), a rise is met with a whippet speed increase at the pumps, whereas a fall in the wholesale cost is met with shoulder shrug and movement that makes a tortoise look speedy.

Is this not what we elect governments for? Not to bleat and moan and inform us about the inevitable: about how your weekly shopping will go up and how you may have to go without necessities, about how we must all save energy by ‘switching off the lights’ and how it is inevitable due to the excuses outlined.

We pay these ‘leaders’ to be proactive. Government should put the people first more now than ever. Cut fuel duty down to 10% for the next year, legislate for power companies to cap profits by rebating poor put-upon customers: scrap the carbon neutral fantasy, the Ulez charge and improve public transportation with need at its core, not how profitable the route may or may not be.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Petrol now costs around £1.68 a litre

People often say we are living in uncertain times, but I disagree. There’s nothing more certain than what the remainder of 2022 will bring as our previously affluent neighbours are seen popping down the food bank to feed the kids, councils bleed you dry whilst scaling back already skeleton services and government does little but inform us of the impending doom as they wring their hands and claim they’re on our side.

  • Brett Ellis is a teacher