Motion #04
This motion responds to the energy price cap rises, drawing on proposals from Molly Scott Cato and Martin Farley. It omits references to government fossil fuel subsidies through an energy price cap. Instead a Basic Energy Allowance and Universal Basic Income are proposed to make basic energy needs more affordable.
Insert into Record of Policy Statements:
“The Green Party notes:
Unprecedented increases in energy prices have increased anxiety and are putting lives at risk this winter.
The UK’s pseudo-market for energy was already failing to respond to the climate emergency. It has been broken by massive volatility in global energy markets caused by the Covid bounce-back and since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The recent failure of some smaller retail energy companies collapse and the energy price cap have failed to protect consumers and shown that only governments can operate as energy supplier of last resort and prioritise energy affordability and climate action over profit-making.
That whilst high energy prices discourage excessive energy use and reward home retrofit, the current system of energy prices is regressive so higher energy prices increase inequality and fuel poverty.
The Green Party recalls that:
Green Party policy IN604 calls for public ownership of industries that are crucial to well being, including electricity transmission and distribution.
Green Party policy EN013 supports demand-side management of energy use, which includes paying less for electricity when there is a surplus.
Green Party policy EC202 states our objective, ‘To achieve an equitable distribution of resources, wealth, opportunity and power which ensures access for all to the means of sustenance and of personal and social development.’
The Green New Deal proposed in the Green Party’s General Election 2019 manifesto includes a massive programme of publicly funded home insulation.
The Green Party’s policy, EC730, to introduce a Universal Basic Income, would help counter the impacts of knock-on costs of higher energy prices on essential goods including food and travel.
Recent Green Party press statements calling for a “Dirty Profits” windfall tax on North Sea oil & gas and a ‘Five Point Plan for the Energy Crisis’ included a £40 uplift to Universal Credit. This motion complements this.
The Green Party calls on the Government to urgently:
Introduce differential energy pricing by making a set number of units of energy available to all households for minimal cost as a Basic Energy Allowance (EN071). This allowance would be based on the number of occupants in a household. Extra units would be available for disabled people and those with chronic health conditions.
Introduce Universal Basic Income payments to support everyone with the rising cost of living. This would be taxable but not counted when calculating benefits to ensure impact is proportionate to need. Together with the Basic Energy Allowance this would ensure everyone can afford a limited amount of energy and make energy pricing progressive.
Nationalise the Big Five energy supply companies (as called for the TUC). This would ensure that energy companies would be run in the public interest and regulated to facilitate the transition to a fully renewable domestic energy system. This regulation will support rather than undermine smaller energy companies and energy cooperatives.
Introduce a massive programme of publicly funded programme to insulate all homes, matched with other measures to reduce energy demand.
Introduce a windfall tax on North Sea fossil fuel production to capture un-earned excess profits and stop them funding development of further reserves that must be kept in the ground if we are to limit the extent of the climate change.
Fund the above through a combination of windfall taxes on fossil fuel profits – backdated to January 2022 – as well as additional taxes on those in higher-income brackets and private landlords.
These measures are considered to be instead of, not in addition to, measures to support incomes proposed or implemented by the Government.”
[End of statement to be inserted into RoPs]
Insert the following into Energy chapter of Policies for a Sustainable Society at the end of section title “Social Well Being and Health”:
EN071 Domestic energy pricing will be restructured so that all households receive a Basic Energy Allowance for a fixed standing charge.
Conference notes that Interim Policy Positions on Dirty Profits tax and Revised 5 Point Plan for Energy Crisis should be revised to:
Remove Point [2] of the Five Point Plan on £320 winter fuel payments
Remove “to 35%” from the Dirty Profits Tax, to leave the rate of supplementary tax unspecified
Conference instructs GPEx to ensure Green Party Comms and Press Statements are consistent with the policy approach to affordability of energy crisis outlined in this motion and existing Green Party policy (as set out in Policies for a Sustainable Society).