The Chancellor said the public should not be “scared” about rising energy prices - but wouldn't rule out another price gap increase in October. Rishi Sunak, asked on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme whether he was prepared to step in to offer support amid increasing energy bills, said: “Of course I am, and people can judge me by my actions over the past two years. Where we have been able to make a difference, I have tried to do that.”
Mr Sunak, told the energy price cap was likely to go up again in October, added: “We don’t know and I don’t want people to be scared. What we have is a price cap that will protect people all the way through to the autumn. We’ve acted now to help them with the increase that is coming in, in April – the situation is obviously very volatile in Ukraine.”
He said it was “too early to speculate” on what might happen with the price cap in October. But Mr Sunak said he recognised it was “not going to be easy” for households amid rising cost of living pressures and vowed to “stand by them”.
He said: “Without question, this is people’s number one priority – I get that, and I know how difficult it is when you are working hard and seeing the price of everything go up every day, every week. And the steps we have taken to sanction Russia are not cost-free for us here at home, and I want to be honest with people that it is not going to be easy.
“I wish Government could solve absolutely every problem and that I could fully protect people against the challenges that lie ahead, but I can’t do that. But what I would say is that I will stand by them in the same way that I have done in the past couple of years. Where we can make a difference, of course we will.”
