Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to reduce household energy bills.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

11. What steps he is taking to help reduce household energy bills.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)]

Bills are too high and the cost of living crisis is the biggest issue facing the country. That is why, at the last Budget, we took decisions to raise taxes on the wealthiest, which will enable us to take an average of £150 in costs off household energy bills from April. That builds on the fact that the price cap and average energy bills were lower in real terms in 2025 than in 2024.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

We were promised a reduction in bills of £300, but they have actually gone up by just shy of £200. The impact assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026, which we passed last week, states:

“we estimate that cost-pass through for most sectors could feasibly be at 80-90%”.

That is a euphemism for even higher bills, isn’t it?

[Ed Miliband]

I am afraid that the right hon. Gentleman’s first point is wrong; he is taking one quarter—summer 2024 —and comparing it with today. If we look across 2025, bills are lower than in 2024. Actually, I had hoped that he would support the £150 that we have taken off energy bills, but the Opposition oppose all the measures making that possible.