John Healey announced a £100 household energy payment in his Budget on Wednesday, and the measure is set to reach 20 million households in England. The John Healey energy payment Birmingham announcement landed as residents at West Bromwich market weighed whether it would make a difference to day-to-day bills.
He also set out changes to household energy costs across England, Scotland and Wales, including the removal of standing charges from gas bills and moving those costs into the unit rate. The Budget also removes import taxes from more than 100 food products, including gherkins and marmalade, and from kerosene and fertilisers.
West Bromwich market reaction
Dawn Ozer, from Halesowen, said the £100 would help her very much as a pensioner. Speaking to the at West Bromwich market, she said it was a response to pressure on everyday budgets because a lot of people are struggling in regards to payments for gas, electric, etc.
Ozer also welcomed the removal of standing charges, saying: “Even better, because any help at the moment is better for anybody. I think we're all kind of struggling.” She added that she was “very careful how much I use my car because I think of the fuel cost,” after the source said fuel duty would be frozen until July.
Household bills and food costs
Maxine Whitter, from Handsworth, said the £100 payment was “the tip of the iceberg.” She added: “Considering if people have gas and electric, it's going to be eaten up in one month anyway” and said that if it were spaced out through the winter, it would be “a little help,” but also that it was about “getting the utility companies on board.”
Lee Smith of West Bromwich was more direct. He called the payment “nothing, nowhere near enough” and said, “Especially for the elderly, it's not going to be enough.” He added: “My mom works full time, I work as much as I can, but it's still hard.”
Donna and the food measure
Donna, from Oldbury and a mother-of-two, said the tax measure on more than 100 food products “will help a lot.” Smith questioned how the tax cuts would be funded, saying: “But where are they going to take the money from?” and “They're gonna have to pinch money off Peter to pay Paul.”
The Budget leaves the practical test with households now: how far £100 goes once gas and electricity bills are spread across a winter period, and whether the food tax cuts show up quickly enough to ease weekly spending. For many families, the announcement offers help on paper, but the pace and scale of relief will decide how much of it reaches the bills they face now.
