With Labour under fire for scrapping universal winter fuel payments to pensioners, ministers met energy industry bosses yesterday to discuss ways of supporting struggling households through the colder months.
Executives from 10 of the UK's energy suppliers - including the boss of British Gas, Chris O'Shea - met the energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh alongside consumer groups, charities and the regulator, Ofgem.
It is understood there was "broad agreement around the table" that urgent action was needed to help tackle a "worrying" rise in debts being racked up by consumers on their energy bills, which have reached a record high of £3.2bn in total.
In the short-term, the government is expected to consider demands for it to double the support offered to homes through the warm home discount, a scheme that hands £150 to billpayers in Great Britain who are in receipt of certain benefits over winter.
Esta historia es de la edición August 29, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 29, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
City win 'will clear minds and souls,' says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City's return to winning ways will \"clear our minds and souls\" as he insisted the Premier League champions will get back to their best after a welcome 2-0 victory at Leicester.
Haaland's bundle of joy gives Guardiola timely lift
It was not without the kind of faults that have become the norm of late, but Pep Guardiola finally rebooted his winning Manchester City machine in his 500th match in charge.
Liverpool's high five Slot shrugs off transfer talk as Reds go eight points clear
Arne Slot has said the January transfer window will not become a distraction from Liverpool's fine run of form or cause a loss of control in his relationship with his players.
Salah stars again as Liverpool rout hapless Hammers
With 54 minutes gone at London Stadium, Trent Alexander-Arnold took a pass from Ryan Gravenberch with time to wait and look up, the lack of pressure from the West Ham players almost a public snub, before spanking a deflected shot past Alphonse Areola to make it 4-0 to Liverpool and kill off once again a game that was already long since dead.
Eze seals comeback to leave Saints stranded
When Aaron Ramsdale swapped warming the bench at Arsenal for a relegation battle with Southampton, even the England goalkeeper couldn't have imagined it would be this bad.
Gibbs-White profits off 'farcical' Everton as Forest go second
Nottingham Forest continue their remarkable ascent under Nuno Espirito Santo. A club that was one place above the relegation zone when Nuno arrived 12 months ago climbed to second in the Premier League with a comfortable win against Everton.
Strand Larsen's late strike piles pain on Postecoglou
For Tottenham, a home game against relegation-threatened opposition ought to mean only one thing. Instead, there was a sense of foreboding before and during plenty of this one.
Iraola delighted by 'perfect' Ouattara strike
Andoni Iraola lauded Dango Ouattara's impact off the bench as he came on to score an 89th-minute equaliser in Bournemouth's draw with Fulham.
Wilder defiant after Grant levels and Blades falter again
When does a stutter become a stumble? After a first home defeat of the season against Burnley on Boxing Day, the Championship high-flyers Sheffield United dropped two more home points against managerless West Brom.
'Staying was easy. Manchester just feels like home'
Kerstin Casparij on her new City contract, Gareth Taylor's obsessive levels of detail and her excitement for Euro 2025
