Liz Truss has vowed that the UK will not ration energy this winter and warned that soaring energy bills are a “price worth paying” in order to stand up against Vladimir Putin.
The Prime Minister said “we cannot jeopardise our security” for the sake of cheap energy.
Speaking to reporters in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister said she would not be telling people to ration their energy use this winter as consumers face soaring bills.
Germany has already encouraged consumers to use less energy and has taken steps like dimming streetlights to save on the Russian-dependent gas supplies.
But the Prime Minister is keen not to draw parallels with deep memories of “when the lights went out” in Tory Britain in the 1970s due to an energy and inflation crisis.
Truss said she supports energy efficiency measures and has outlined plans to deal with soaring energy bills, including a £2500 energy price guarantee to limit how much suppliers can charge for each unit of energy.
Green levies will also be removed from bills, and the government will pay for both measures by borrowing.
Speaking on her way to New York for a United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday,Ms Truss said: “We are not talking about rationing of energy.”
She added that she supported her predecessor Boris Johnson’s view that higher energy bills for standing up to Russia over Ukraine was a price worth paying.
The PM said: “It’s right that we cannot jeopardise our security for the sake of cheap energy.”
Under the domestic energy scheme, bills for the average home will not increase past £2,500 for two years, saving typical households around £1,000.
A scheme to help businesses cope with skyrocketing bills is due to be announced on Wednesday.
Support for businesses is only expected to be in place for six months and will be announced in a Written Statement rather than in the House of Commons.
Downing Street has also admitted help for businesses might not arrive until November, with support having to be backdated to cover October’s bills.
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