MPs feel heat after claiming on expenses for their energy bills

More than half the MPs in the country, including Government Ministers, have used the parliamentary expenses system to recoup the cost of heating their second homes.

Bills of more than £1,000 were submitted by 41 MPs, including Wakefield MP Mary Creagh (£2,182) and York Central MP Hugh Bayley (£1,773) while 78 made claims for £500 in the 12 months up to March this year, according to reports.

Last month Mr Bayley raised the issue of energy bills in the House of Commons, pointing out that they had risen more than £300 a year under the Coalition Government.

He later said: “The Government has let the energy companies almost double their profits leaving people in York struggling with the cost of living and some people now have to choose between heating their home or buying food.”

Yesterday Mr Bayley said the figure should be seen in context, adding: “My claim overall for my second home is one of the lowest in Yorkshire.”

Mrs Creagh declined to comment.

North Hull MP Diana Johnson, who has also called for the Government to freeze fuel prices, reportedly claimed £1,466 for fuel and Sheffield MP David Blunkett, £1,095.

Neither were available for comment.

The claims do not break any parliamentary rules but come at a time of heightened tensions over the spiralling cost of gas and electricity.

The Yorkshire MPs’ bills are dwarfed however by that of Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, a founder of market research firm YouGov, who claimed the most with a bill totalling £5,822.27 to cover electricity and heating oil for his estate in Warwickshire.

International Development Minister Alan Duncan claimed £2,750 for electricity bills and £1,250 in heating oil for his home in Rutland, Leicestershire while Universities Minister David Willetts, claimed £2,596.

Labour MP John Mann, who did not claim for his energy bills, said: “Perhaps the MPs who have submitted the claims should start wearing thicker jumpers.

“There will be people including pensioners who can’t afford to heat their homes who will be furious to find out that MPs who can afford to pay them are putting in such high claims.

“Government Ministers are attacking Ed Miliband for proposing to freeze prices but they don’t have to worry about the cost because they can put the claims in.”

Dave Prentis, the general secretary of Unison, said: “It’s disgraceful that well-paid MPs should claim expenses for heating costs at the same time that thousands of families are struggling to pay to turn the oven on to cook dinner for their families.

“These are the same hypocritical MPs who have failed to get a grip on soaring fuel and energy costs, rising food bills and pay freezes.

TaxPayers’ Alliance spokesman Andrew Allison added: “It does make you wonder why there’s such a disparity between MPs.

“Clearly some of them are not switching supplier and getting the best deal.”

The Government and Labour have been vying to get on the front foot on energy costs, with the Opposition pledging to freeze bills if it wins the next general election, and the Government announcing a package of reforms in the energy market.

Four of the “Big Six” energy companies have announced average increases of around nine per cent in recent weeks, which would bring the current average annual dual-fuel bill of £1,315 up to £1,433.

Last week they were accused of intentionally charging their customers the highest possible amount for electricity and gas despite wholesale prices falling.

The “Big Six” were overcharging UK customers by £3.7bn a year and are taking the most they “can get away with” from hard-pressed consumers, the boss of a rival energy company, Stephen Fitzpatrick, managing director of Ovo Energy, told MPs.