In My View: Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood

It’s hard to imagine after such a hot month, but it won’t be long before all of us across London start turning up the heating to keep us warm on cold winter nights.

But this year it’ll be different, with households facing another eye-watering hike in gas and electricity prices, making us all think twice.

Right now, so many people – including young families and pensioners – won’t be able to afford to turn the heating on at all.

I’ve spoken to so many people across Dulwich and West Norwood who are worried sick about how they would put food on the table.

And that was before prices go up.

People across London are scared about how they’ll make ends meet through the winter with record numbers plunged into fuel poverty. And they’re worried about friends and loved ones who might struggle more than most.

We are in the midst of a national economic emergency. But Labour says enough is enough.

We have a choice. This Tory government can carry on letting giant oil and gas producers make huge profits while working people and pensioners suffer.

Or we can do something about it.

Labour would stop energy prices rising this winter by freezing the price cap, saving the average household abpot £1,000.

We would pay for this by taxing oil and gas producers properly, getting rid of the loopholes the Tories were happy to wave through.

It means that households across my constituency will receive £49million from Labour’s fully costed plan.

This £29billion plan will also bring inflation down, making future interest rate hikes less likely and easing the burden on households and businesses.

But we need to solve the energy crisis for good.

Labour would insulate every home that needs it to get bills down with our Warm Homes Plan.

And we’d get Britain off expensive foreign gas – by investing much, much more in home grown, cleaner energy such as solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear power.

That is the only way to make sure people in Dulwich and West Norwood never again face an energy price crisis like this.

We’ve had 12 years of Conservative and Lib Dem Governments that have failed to secure Britain’s energy supplies, leaving bills higher and our country less secure.

Labour’s plan would end the price hikes now, reduce inflation and create cheaper, cleaner energy for the future – helping people get through the winter and providing the foundations for a stronger, more secure economy.

Only Labour can give Britain the fresh start it needs.