Chris Elmore, MP for Ogmore, has today [8 September 2023] met with representatives from National Energy Action this followed on from his question in the House of Commons regarding residents struggling to pay for their heating bills.

Chris asked the UK Government:

A constituent of mine who is a mother and a carer for her disabled son wrote to me recently. She told me that she is watching every penny and is deeply worried about how she will afford energy in the coming winter. She is one of the nine in 10 families with a disabled child who the Family Fund says are struggling to afford simple household bills. What direct advice does the Secretary of State have for my constituent and thousands like her who are in a hopeless situation?

At the meeting with National Energy Action, Mr Elmore was able to discuss the new Energy Price Cap introduced by Ofgem. This price cap is almost double the level of October 2021’s cap.

The UK Government currently estimate that up to 45% of all households in Wales live in fuel poverty and Chris was able to speak to National Energy Action about what support residents could be missing out on.

Chris Elmore, MP for Ogmore, said:

“I’ve been doing all I can to support residents across Ogmore who are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of energy and the weekly shop has risen due to extremely high inflation. Only recently did I meet up with a team from the Beauty Bank who were opening up a new partnership in our community to support people who can’t afford hygiene products.

I’m grateful for National Energy Action’s time in meeting with me. Being able to share the real-world experiences of Ogmore residents with them means we can highlight just how worrying the situation has got.

To those who are struggling with their bills please do contact me and I can see what support is available. There are schemes being implemented by the Welsh Government designed to help people during these tough times and I’m eager that everyone is linked with the support they are entitled to.”