Labour has branded Rishi Sunak’s energy bills “discount” a “shoddily designed buy now, pay later loan scheme” after research revealed poor levels of understanding of the policy among the British public.
Savanta ComRes polling for Yahoo News UK revealed one in four Brits do not realise the £200 rebate will have to be paid back, and another quarter haven’t even heard of the policy.
On Thursday last week, Rishi Sunak announced the government’s “Energy Bills Rebate” scheme to support households grappling with soaring energy bills and the growing cost-of-living crisis.
The announcement came after after Ofgem announced the energy price cap will increase by 54%, meaning the average UK household’s annual energy bill will rise by £693 to £1,971 on 1 April.
As part of the plan, households in bands A to D will receive a £150 council tax rebate.
All households will receive a £200 “discount” or “rebate” on their energy bills this year.
Then, from 2023, all households will have to pay a £200 levy on their bills, made up of £40 instalments every year for five years.
Read more: Exclusive: One in four people have no idea about government’s £200 energy bill ‘discount’
The move has been widely criticised, with consumer champion and money saving expert Martin Lewis describing the £200 payment as a “loan-not-a-loan” and…
