London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 03, 2025

Energy bills: Current support is not enough, says Boris Johnson

Energy bills: Current support is not enough, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has admitted the current help for people struggling with energy bills is not enough, and said he expects more money to follow.

Mr Johnson will step down as PM in September, but said he was "making sure there is extra cash" for his successor to provide additional support.

He also said people were starting to receive the money which the government announced earlier in the year.

The topic of rising bills has come to dominate the Tory leadership contest.

The two candidates to replace Mr Johnson have set out differing strategies on how they would respond to the cost of living crisis.

Liz Truss has argued that cutting taxes is the best way to help struggling households.

Rishi Sunak has proposed spending billions of pounds on further payments to pensioners and people on low incomes, contending tax cuts will not help them enough.

Elsewhere Labour has set out its own proposals including a plan to ensure pre-pay energy customers are charged the same as those paying by direct debit - a move they say would benefit four million people.

Speaking in Edinburgh, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was "outrageous and immoral" that the poorest people on pre-payment meters paid more for their energy bills.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also called for the government to raise money by backdating the windfall tax on energy companies.

Speaking at a hustings in Cheltenham, Ms Truss said she "absolutely" did not support windfall taxes, arguing it was "all about bashing business".


Mr Johnson has made it clear that he thinks further support will be needed from whoever succeeds him at the start of September.

But he isn't going to make that decision himself and several government figures have made it clear the big decisions can not be taken by the outgoing regime.

The lack of immediate action infuriates people like Martin Lewis, the money saving expert, and angers some opposition politicians too, who say the scale of the energy crisis is such that the government can't wait a month to decide what it's going to do.

But whatever options are suggested by the opposition or left on the table by the current government, it looks increasingly clear that concrete decisions are going to have to wait.

Not least because the two people who could be making them - Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss - sharply disagree.

Conservative members are weighing up which they prefer.

But while they decide, decisions over help with the cost of living look like they are going to have to wait.

Last week forecasts suggested that energy bills could rise to more than £4,000 per year next year for typical households.

Earlier this year the government announced a £15bn package including a £400 energy bill discount for every household.

Asked by reporters if this was enough, Mr Johnson said: "No", adding: "What we're doing... is trying to make sure that by October, by January, there is further support".

"I'm not going to pretend that things are easy for people right now, but there's more money coming anyway as a result of the decisions we've taken.

"I think over the medium term, the future's very bright."

He also argued that the price of energy would be brought down in the longer term by the government's investment in nuclear power and renewables.

Earlier Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said new cost of living policies would be "ready to go" when either Mr Sunak or Ms Truss took office on 6 September.

Speaking on a visit to the Airbus factory in Broughton in north Wales, Mr Zahawi told broadcasters: "We're looking at all the options of what additional help we need to bring in later on in the winter months."

The BBC has been told one option could include expanding the windfall tax on energy companies.

The current windfall tax - also called the energy profits levy - applies only to oil and gas firms, but there has been speculation that it could be extended to electricity generators.


Boris Johnson: Energy bill support is not enough


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
×