Labour ministers have been urging the public to 'keep calm and carry on' in the face of a looming energy crisis sparked by the Iran war, but critics warn this message may be underplaying the scale of the challenge. Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think people should go about their lives as normal, knowing that the government is taking action to bring energy bills down.'
However, Andrew Sissons, director of the climate programme at research foundation Nesta, argues the government's approach is misguided. 'The reality is that the global supply of oil and gas is going to be down by maybe 20%. It's a supply crisis, which means everybody needs to consume less,' he said.
The government is keen to claim credit for a £117-a-year cut to household utility bills, which comes into effect in April. But forecasts from Cornwall Insight suggest the cost of a dual-fuel bill will rise by 17.6% from July, swamping the April cut. Oil and petrol prices have also surged since the start of US bombing in Iran and retaliatory strikes.
Jill Rutter of the Institute for Government thinktank says she would prefer a message more like 'keep calm, but you can probably find some quite useful savings'. She added: 'There are things you can do to manage down your consumption.' Sissons argues the government should urge people to be more efficient and switch to clean electricity, heat pumps and electric vehicles.
At his Wednesday press conference, Keir Starmer had nothing to say about actions consumers can take, unlike Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has urged people to use public transport and not overfill their cars. Labour is understandably keen to avoid anything that might smack of the 'nanny state', but experts warn that failing to provide advice on cutting consumption could leave households unprepared for higher bills.
