South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns has called for urgent
action to assist families struggling to make ends
meet in the face of relentless price hikes in basic
necessities.
Mr Burns said: “This 14% hike in electricity prices
is the latest in the relentless assault on the
struggling family budget and news of a further 15%
hike just before winter means things will only get
worse.
“Basic necessities are all rocketing to record
highs.
“Just last month there was a 28% increase in the
price of Phoenix gas.
“The price of home heating oil has soared to over
£500 for 900 litres - that’s double what it was two
years ago.
“Diesel and petrol are at record high prices at the
pumps. At the same time BP and Shell have just
announced over £3.3 and almost £4 billion in profits
in the first three months of this year.
“Even the basic grocery bill is spiralling. An
average family’s annual grocery bill has gone up by
more than £750. This is against a backdrop of
multiple investigations by the Office of Fair
Trading into alleged price-fixing by major
supermarkets and about 100 well-known leading
household brands.
“All this is on top of increased mortgage payments,
rates bills, and looming water charges.
“The cost of living is rapidly escalating yet
incomes remain at a standstill. This is severely
squeezing household budgets and putting people under
a terrible strain. Not only are their finances being
affected but their health is also suffering.
“There is a limit to what we at Stormont can achieve
when prices hikes are largely due to global factors
outside of our control. That doesn’t mean we should
just sit on our hands and do nothing.
“For a start consumers need to be encouraged to be
as energy efficient as possible.
“Elected representatives must work with the
regulators to ensure people are getting the best and
fairest deal. We must work to ensure pressure is
brought to bear on locally controlled costs and that
markets are opened up to end the decades of monopoly
enjoyed by energy providers here.
“We also need significant government investment in
renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.
“And we must take urgent action to support those on
low incomes before more people are brought to crisis
point”.
ENDS
