Energy bills help 'doesn't go far enough'

Energy bills help 'doesn't go far enough'

Kelly Birkett, a mum-of-two, said they would be "no better off" after the government's budget announcement

Households in the West Midlands said they want the government to look again at energy bills after the Budget, amid worries that the support on offer will not go far enough.

Chancellor John Healey announced a £100 'household energy payment', along with a future plan to abolish gas standing charges, as part of a broader package aimed at tackling the cost of living.

Families in the region told the BBC they were "grateful" for the help, but were anxious about their finances over the winter.

Kelly Birkett, a personal accountant from Redditch, said: "The £100 is good, but it's not great. It just gets absorbed into everything else families have to pay for, just to get by."

Birkett, a married mum-of-two, said her family was already thinking about what to cut back on after the Budget.

"I know I sound a little but ungrateful for the £100, and I don't want to be. I'm certainly not ungrateful," she said.

"But in reality we're no better off. With the temperatures dropping we know the heating will have to be on, the children can't be cold.

"We'll dig deep to make sure we're a little more conservative when it comes to the heating, but for sure it's something most families will be worried about (the winter.)"

Chancellor John Healey said the Budget would give families "breathing space"

Mark Sumner, a coach driver from Alcester, said he and his wife sold their former home partly to pay off old debts that had built up from bills including energy.

He told the BBC they had fallen into "energy debt" and were worried about the winter ahead.

"We know our bill will go up again, you're just dreading it each time the increase comes around, as to how much it will be," he said.

"I very rarely take our children out for anything to eat anymore, and we're very careful about what we spend at the shops.

"What the government has announced is helpful. I don't want to be ungrateful so I will say it's helpful for us, but it probably only covers one month (of bills).

"So it's a slight help, but it's not enough."

The government said "millions of families" would gain from the measures set out in the Budget, including freezing fuel duty, the 3.9% minimum wage increase and dropping plans to lower the £20,000 tax-free limit on ISAs.

Chancellor John Healey said the energy announcement was "just a small part" of what the government was doing to support families.

"Conflict in the Middle East and Europe is hitting families here at home through higher everyday costs," he said.

"We can't control global events, but we can act where we can make a difference."

There is no fixed date for removing the standing charge on gas, but the Treasury has pledged to do it either in 2027 or "as soon as possible after".

The VAT cut on electricity bills, which was due to end in April, will now be extended to July next year.