Whilst thankfully, fuel prices at the petrol pumps have reduced slightly over the last few weeks, I expect, like me, you have concerns about the cost of living, especially as winter approaches. I am pleased that Wiltshire Council has been getting on with distributing the £150 Government energy rebate on council tax bills for households in bands A-D. 140,000 eligible households in Wiltshire have now received their rebate and the council is now working on a further discretionary fund for people on low incomes who live in properties banded E-H. Anyone who has any queries about these rebates should call the revenues team at Wiltshire Council on 0300 456 0109.
Over the next few months many of us should benefit from further assistance with all households receiving £400 off energy bills starting in October. The £400 (non-repayable) discounts from energy suppliers will be paid to consumers over 6 months with payments starting from October 2022. However, more needs to be done. I am not anti-capitalism by any stretch of the imagination but when you have an energy crisis with millions struggling financially it makes me angry to see billion dollar quarterly profits for oil companies or multi-million pound bonuses for energy company bosses. Clearly the balance between adequate taxation and encouraging business to the UK is off.
The background to the global increase in energy costs is complex, and there is a huge task ahead for our next PM, whoever they will be. In the meantime, I would like to promote the Warm and Safe Wiltshire strategy, a commitment from Wiltshire Council and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service. The energy advice line can provide support with the installation of draught-proofing measures, smoke alarms to improve fire safety and advice on reducing energy use, switching energy suppliers, reducing condensation and damp problems, and controlling heating. There are also Government schemes to further reduce the cost of work, or to pay for it completely if you are unable to afford the cost yourself. More information is available at www.warmandsafewiltshire.org.uk or call the energy advice line on 0800 038 5722.
Finally, I must express my congratulations to all students who have been working hard for their A-Levels and other qualifications. It has been an incredibly testing time for those in education with this year’s cohort experiencing unprecedented upheaval thanks to Covid. Whatever your grades, you deserve a huge amount of respect for keeping your heads in the books and showing such resilience. I wish you all the very best for the future in whatever direction you choose to travel. If you have children who have just received their results please pass on my best wishes.
You may contact me about this or any other matter by email to dominic.muns@wiltshire.gov.uk or by phone on 07585 394 178.
