Increase taxes to 70% to pay for cost of living crisis

As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, throughout July Greenpeace volunteers have been speaking to people in South London about the connection between rising energy bills, Putin’s war, and the climate crisis.

In Brockwell Park, they invited the public to write down how much their energy bills have already increased. Volunteers collected 60 messages in total and found a universal increase in the cost of bills, with many saying their bills had doubled.

Messages from residents included: “I have no spare money”, “I am cutting back on non-essentials and searching for bargains” and “I am having to use my savings to pay the bills at the end of the month.’”

South-West London Greenpeace volunteer, Catherine Dawkins, said: “I was shocked to hear people’s stories of having to choose between heating and eating, and how many more local people are worrying about being pushed into fuel poverty when bills rise again in the autumn.

Greenpeace South-West London volunteers call on the Government to deliver an emergency energy package that stops fuelling rising energy bills, the climate crisis and Putin’s war, and on our MPs to keep the pressure on the Government until they do the right thing.”

On April, energy bills went up by an average of £700, pushing 2.5 million UK households into fuel poverty.

Data analysed by Friends of the Earth showed that 25 per cent of neighbourhoods in London are already rated worst for fuel poverty.

In October, bills will rise again, potentially reaching up to an estimated £2,600 per year, which could put one in three households in fuel poverty, according to National Energy Action. Life is only going to get harder for people in South London.

Although the Government has recently declared a windfall tax on oil and gas producers, this will only provide temporary relief and does nothing to address the causes of the climate or cost of living crises.

Greenpeace South-West London is calling for a tax rate of 70 per cent, which could bring in an extra £13.4billion per year. Of this, £7.9billion should go towards the six million households experiencing fuel poverty.

This would leave just over £5billion to invest in the nationwide roll out of heat pumps, insulation and other energy efficiency measures as well as increasing investment in renewable energy infrastructure.

Catherine Dawkins
Greenpeace South-West London

Greenpeace volunteers talk to residents in Brockwell Park Picture: Greenpeace