There’s been an unwelcome further hike in the price of petrol and diesel prices in the last fortnight. The post-Covid surge in global demand and Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine has pushed the price of oil to over $120 a barrel. There’s better news on the price of wholesale gas which has fallen to a level last seen in September, but it is still historically very high and that has dramatically pushed up energy costs. While fossil fuels usage has fallen significantly in the UK to generate electricity in the last 12 years, typically a third still comes from gas.
Fuel and energy are precious resources and reducing demand can only have a positive impact on their cost. I personally am doing everything possible to limit my own usage of both, especially motivated to speed up ending the demand and use of supplies from Russia, as well for environmental reasons.
While reducing demand helps as well as increasing the supply of renewable energy and nuclear, it’s right that our government is helping with the impacts these high prices create. Fuel duty has been frozen by the Conservative government for the last 12 years and a one-year 5p a litre cut has come in. There is some concern this cut isn’t being passed on everywhere, so I welcome the government getting the Competition Watchdog to conduct an urgent review into forecourt prices, as reductions in prices always seem to take longer to be passed on than increases. A further fuel duty cut also feels needed.
A levy on high oil profits is contributing to the £400 energy rebate that all households will receive in October, with additional payments of £650 for households receiving means-tests benefits, £300 for pensioners in receipt of Winter Fuel Payments, and £150 for recipients of disability benefits.
A large number of Crawley residents who don’t pay their council tax by direct debit haven’t yet claimed their existing £150 government energy rebate, that is being distributed through Crawley Borough Council. A second letter went out three weeks ago and I encourage everyone yet to claim to do so.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
15th June 2022
