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Energy Costs
09 June 2026
Lead MP
Hannah Spencer
Responding Minister
Martin McCluskey
Tags
EconomyTaxationForeign AffairsEnergy
Word Count: 4126
Other Contributors: 6
At a Glance
Hannah Spencer raised concerns about energy costs in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
I ask the Government to freeze the Ofgem energy price cap and increase the warm home discount to support households facing rising costs. I also urge them to take immediate steps against profiteering by energy companies and ensure that any future insulation schemes deliver proper savings for homeowners.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the unaffordable cost of energy in my constituency. One in three households in Gorton and Denton is living in fuel poverty, with bills having increased by 79% since the start of the energy crisis in 2020. This has led to families struggling to pay for basic necessities such as warmth, while energy companies continue to profit from high prices.
We are waiting for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to come up with the results of the community benefit consultation. The highlands only got £9 million of community benefit last year, and Scotland as a whole got less than £30 million. There are tens of thousands of jobs in renewables in the highlands, but they are not for locals; they are imported teams. Very often, offshore firms are doing the construction. We sell 10 times more electricity than we produce. Effectively, there is nothing in it for the people of rural Scotland to produce electricity. Does the Minister agree that the community benefit conclusion from DESNZ is crucial?
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Committed the hon. Lady for speaking on behalf of her constituents and highlighted the high energy costs in Northern Ireland, where Power NI charges £1,093 for credit meters and £1,065 for keypad meters, on top of a £200 price increase last year.
Requested for the hon. lady to give way to intervene. The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) referred to retrofitting in her speech, and the Minister has talked about its importance. In Northampton, one of the biggest concerns people have about committing to retrofit is getting a dodgy builder. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recognise that, and we have recommended to Government that they bring forward a licensing scheme for contractors and an accreditation scheme for tradespeople. Could the Minister set out how the Government are progressing on that?
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Asked if the hon. Member would give way to make an intervention. Is it not totally outrageous that energy giants will make billions in extra profits from Trump's war on Iran while ordinary people are hit with higher costs? Does the Minister agree that we should introduce an emergency war profits tax to ensure that they cannot make a single extra penny in super-profits from this crisis? We can use that money to fund urgent cost of living support.
Requested for the hon. Lady to give way to intervene. It is good to hear the Government's intention to reduce energy prices. The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) is right to call for more affordable energy. In France, electricity is about a third cheaper than it is here, with nuclear at the heart of the system. Does the Minister agree that ruling nuclear out or not progressing it quickly enough is wrong, and will he join me in calling for the assessment of Scotland's nuclear potential to be published?
The Minister is making a powerful point about the investments that the Government are making in green and clean energy. In Macclesfield, families are suffering from high energy costs at the pumps or in making sure that their homes are warm when they need to be. Does he agree that tackling climate change, investing in clean energy and bringing down bills come together as a coherent argument, and that we should all be making the case for that?
Government Response
Martin McCluskey
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Esther McVey. The increase in energy prices, announced by Ofgem two weeks ago, is due to the war in Iran and was not desired by anyone. Two days before the conflict began, the price cap fell by 7%, which is still factored into current prices. Decisions on tax are for the Chancellor; however, a windfall tax on energy profits is already in place. The Government's priority is to reduce exposure to volatile international gas markets through clean, home-grown power and homes that are cheaper to run. Actions include reducing electricity costs by scrapping the energy company obligation, continuing the warm home discount scheme until 2030-31 for around 6 million eligible households, providing a £15 billion investment in home upgrades under the warm homes plan (upgrading up to 5 million homes by 2030), and supporting community benefits through free wind power trials. The minister also highlighted opposition from SNP and Green party on nuclear energy projects and emphasized the importance of consumer protection measures to prevent situations like those with solid wall insulation and internal wall insulation. Additionally, new minimum energy efficiency standards are being introduced for social and private rental sectors to ensure that renters benefit from warmer homes and lower bills.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.