Proposed Energy Equity Commission Bill

That this House believes the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee is socially unjust and fails to set the UK on the path to an energy secure future; expresses concern at estimates by National Energy Action that 6.7 million households could be pushed into fuel poverty, increasing from 4.5 million last year; acknowledges that access to energy enables heating, lighting, cooking, and connectivity which are necessary for a fulfilling and dignified life; believes everyone should have a warm, dry, and well-insulated home, and access to clean and affordable energy, as a basic right; welcomes that Fuel Poverty Action’s demand for a universal band of free energy called Energy For All is supported by over a half a million members of the public; recognises the overwhelming public support for action on the climate crisis, and that a response to the energy price crisis must therefore advance decarbonisation rather than deepening fossil fuel dependency; believes that the Government must prioritise a transformation of the energy system as part of delivering a Green New Deal, with a focus on equity and rapid decarbonisation; and calls on the Government to bring forward an Energy Equity Commission Bill to replace the price cap system with a free universal basic energy allowance supplemented by Social Tariff, alongside a retrofiting strategy for the Nations including proposals for a street-by-street retrofit programme led by devolved administrations and local authorities, to ensure every home is warm in winter and cool in summer, and that energy saving is encouraged and supported.