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Sept 2022

Last Updated: 08/09/2022

Politics

‘It’s still too high’ – Harrogate residents on the government’s energy announcement

by Ben Johnson, Newsroom

| 08 Sept, 2022

Opinion in Harrogate asked why the government could not do more and why prices could not come down further.

This morning, Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the government’s plans to deal with spiralling energy costs.

The Prime Minister announced the price cap would be frozen at £2,500 per year for the average household for the next two years.

The Stray Ferret asked people in Harrogate’s town centre what they thought of the announcement.

Of the seven people we spoke to, none of them thought the measures would be enough.

These are their thoughts:

Lauren Keane and Amandine Thomas, from Harrogate, were out having lunch in the town centre.

Ms Keane wanted to know why the government had not been looked at other options for reducing bills:

“It’s still too high. It’s annoying to know that other countries have capped it at reasonable levels.”

“This is probably it [for price reductions]. They seem to care about profits compared to people.”

“We need to invest more in renewable energy.”

Ms Thomas added:

“I know at the moment [prices are high], obviously with the war in Ukraine and general inflation. Hopefully they won’t stay like that.”

Brian Hazell feared that people would suffer if more was not done to help people with their bills:

“[Prices] are too high. It’s got to [come down], or a lot of people are going to be poorly off this winter.”

“They need to make energy companies pay. [The government] will get us into debt and will have to pay it off for years if we’re not careful.”

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On Cambridge Street, Mr and Mrs Newall placed the blame on the government. Mr Newall said:

“Typical Tory government helping their rich friends and the poor all pay the price. It won’t change until we get another government, but another government wouldn’t do much either. I don’t know how they sleep on a night.”

Mrs Newall added:

“People who stay in all day need to use more fuel than we probably do. We’re fixed until December [but then the bill will increase], won’t it?”

This sentiment was shared by Courtney Nicholson:

“It’s an insult to the public that they’re freezing them. They should be bringing them down. People are struggling. I can’t make a wage stretch a month anymore. Bills are going up. They should be actively trying to bring them down. It’s no way to live.”

Jane Schaffer runs a pottery business which she brings to Harrogate’s farmers market.

She has seen the energy costs increase for the kiln she uses to make her pottery. She said:

“There’s a lot of hype around [the cost of energy]. I’m wondering about them going up. If they go up as predicted, it’ll be double the cost.

“The media have a lot to answer for – scaremongering.”

However, Ms Schaffer was concerned that the general increase in the cost of living may affect the number of people buying her items:

“One the one hand they’re essentials, on another they’re luxury items.”

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‘It’s still too high’ – Harrogate residents on the government’s energy announcement

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