Loss of pensions triple lock terrifies OAPs as cost of living crisis grows ahead of Spring Statement – Yorkshire Post Letters

THE Government’s decision to savage our senior citizens by abolishing the triple lock and freezing personal allowances is abhorrent when we are now seeing terrifying increases in the costs of domestic fuel.

Time to scrap ‘net zero’ as cost of living crisis grows ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement – Yorkshire Post Letters

Yet the energy companies continue to make eye-watering profits and the chief executive of Shell has recently seen the value of their shares rise by £7m.

Isn’t it amazing how much difference a 2.7 per cent increase (£2,187) can make to an MP’s £81,000 salary, yet a 3.1 per cent increase (£221.80) makes so little difference to the basic state pension?

That is the benefit of 
public-sector pay reviews being handled by an independent body so isn’t it about time our state pension reviews were handled in the same way?

I have just been notified by my fuel supplier that my fuel bill will almost double.

However, reducing my fuel usage will have minimal effect as the bulk of the fuel price increase is in the daily standing charges. Why is this increase in the standing charge necessary when the infrastructure for these services is already in place, and their expansion and maintenance is already well covered by the present standing charge?

This is nothing short of rampant profiteering and the Government watchdog should abolish such charges in favour of a simple “pay per kWh” system, thus giving the consumer ultimate control over their energy usage.

There is nothing surer than, whatever reductions in the price of fuel in the future, the standing charges will never fall without Government intervention.

It is also time for the re-nationalisation of our public utilities since the number of active energy companies and tariffs is highly confusing, especially for the computer illiterate who may be unable to effect a beneficial change of supplier.

It is also imperative that we cease bowing to the 
ill-considered “woke”, snowflake green agenda and abandon our blinkered headlong 
charge towards zero-carbon output while China and India continue to build new fossil-fuelled power stations at an alarming pace.

We must immediately reverse the decision to close down fracking operations and also 
take advantage of the wealth of oil and gas surrounding our shores to facilitate energy self-reliance as soon as practicable, as the cost of living crisis caused by Covid is now compounded by the Ukraine war.

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