House of Commons · General Debate
22 January 2026 · 5 other contributors
Opened by Bill Esterson Lab Sefton Central
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Bill Esterson raised concerns about energy costs 2026-01-22 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Welcomes the Government’s decision to reduce energy bills by £150 from April but emphasises that high energy costs are not easy solutions. The report recommends targeted funding for warm home discount, reforms in cold weather payments, recovery of excess profits made by network companies and usage of data to target support for those needing it.
Questions the Chair about making heat pumps and heat storage more affordable as a measure in the clean flexibility road map.
Welcomes the Government’s agreement to be more ambitious with smart metre roll-out but questions if more can be done to rekindle consumer confidence in them.
Questions the effectiveness of the rush towards renewable energy, noting that bills are still higher than pre-election promises. Asks when renewable energy will bring down bills as promised.
Highlights the need for publicly owned generation to produce electricity at lower prices and drive down costs across the market.
Asked about the impact of energy crises on older people in Northern Ireland, noting that around 40,000 older individuals—over 10% of the elderly population there—are living in poverty due to high energy costs. Emphasised the life-threatening nature of severe energy crises for this vulnerable group.