Thank you @yuanfenyang.bsky.social MP for calling for more action on cost of living in response to Spring Statement. You are right that energy bills are a key driver of the crisis we face and that more direct action to tackle bills is needed as a result.
Millions of people have seen their wages stagnate, their costs go up and their living standards fall – all while wealth and power grows increasingly concentrated at the top of society. Things cannot go on like this. Cost of Living Action in LabourList, 16 February 2026
Things cannot go on like this.
labourlist.org/2026/02/the-...
The 'privatisation premium' is taking money from your pocket and giving it to profiteering corporations.
This excellent briefing from COLA member @cmmonwealth.bsky.social shows how public control of essentials is vital to combatting the cost of living crisis.
Cost of Living Action Reaction to the Spring Statement "The Chancellor told us today that her plan for the economy is working. This will leave a sour taste in the mouths of people up and down the country, who are fed up with a cost-of-living crisis with no end in sight. With spiking global energy prices revealing the fragility of recent progress on bills, the government needs to tackle the cost of living as a whole. Our platform provides a roadmap for how to do this.” Conor O'Shea, Campaign Coordinator
Today, the Chancellor delivered her Spring Statement to Parliament, where we were told that the plan is working.
This will leave a sour taste in the mouths of people up and down the country, who are fed up with a cost-of-living crisis with no end in sight.
Our reaction:
It is within the government’s power to make these changes to drive down the spiralling costs that suffocate household budgets and stifle opportunities for so many across the country.
Read more about our proposals here: t.co/D1wjYs1rfa
63% support cutting energy bills by cracking down on profiteering and shifting to ownership for the public benefit. 63% support, 26% don't know/neutral, 11% oppose.
These proposals are popular. Last week, we saw the government punished at the ballot box, in part for its inaction on cost of living. This energy platform is genuinely popular across voters.
We must replace our weak existing price cap with something fairer and more effective; a social tariff that drives down bills and keeps them there.
In addition to these structural changes, we need to address prices directly. Caps on energy prices for households and firms are not uncommon and have proven effective in addressing the inflation that has defined the most recent cost of living crisis.
This should be supplemented by making energy bosses more accountable to government, including stronger powers to curb price gouging and direct reporting to ministers on the issue, ensuring that the system shifts away from profiteering and towards the public benefit.
Taking this element of the energy system into public ownership will eliminate parts of the high profit margins and amount to savings of £142 p/year for households and loosen the extractive grip of the private sector on our energy system.
The UK is the only country in Europe, except Portugal, with a privatised electricity grid (ie. the physical distribution and transmission network). It is structured into regional monopolies; a high wealth extraction by grid operators significantly contributes to consumer costs.
We must:
- Shift ownership structures within the energy network towards public benefit and direct accountability, including the nationalisation of distribution networks.
-Use social energy tariffs to bring down energy bills for the majority, including all low-income households.
Energy Policy Platform Cost of Living Action
Cost of Living Action is a coalition fighting for a future we can all afford. We need to see of changes to how the energy system works, to bring down bills. At a time where more conflict threatens to destabilise energy prices again, the need for bold solutions is even greater.
Britain’s homes aren’t fit for purpose.
Damp, cold, expensive to heat — yet heating houses still accounts for 18% of our emissions.
Our new briefing — A Plan for Places — presents a new blueprint to fix our homes, cut bills and reduce emissions.
🧵👇
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
📈 Energy bills are still £600 higher than 5 years ago.
But there's one huge chunk of your bill that the government could be cutting right now... 💡
Cost of living hasn't stopped been top issue since pandemic, comes up without fail across focus groups with energy and food prices biggest drivers. If Govt can own this fall in prices it will be an opportunity to do claim a tangible 'we've made your life better' win.
To make energy affordable for all, we need to crack down on profiteering, shift our energy system towards ownership for the public benefit, and reform tariffs to bring down bills for the majority.
t.co/D1wjYs1rfa
We welcome direct intervention by the government to reduce costs, but these changes don't go nearly far enough - especially for the low-income households and people in fuel poverty that are suffering most with the cost of energy.
High energy bills remain one of the key drivers of the cost of living crisis - according to our recent polling, 37% of people say the cost of energy impacts them a lot.
t.co/qxub566lSr
Energy price cap reduced Cost of Living Action reaction
Today's reduction in the energy price cap will be welcome news to people up and down the country.
BREAKING 🚨 Generation Rent slams Reform UK plans to scrap hard-won protections for renters. Our Chief Executive, @bentwomeyuk.bsky.social, reacts👇
Disability Rebellion, New Coalition Partner. With Disability Rebellion logo.
NEW COALITION PARTNER
Cost of Living Action is delighted to announce our newest coalition partner @disrebellion.bsky.social .
Disability Rebellion join us to fight for a future we can all afford.
UNISON The Union, New Coalition Partner, with the UNISON logo.
NEW COALITION PARTNER
Cost of Living Action is delighted to announce our newest coalition partner @unison.org.uk
.
UNISON join us to fight for a future we can all afford.
Those at the sharp end understand that this problem won’t just go away with short term policymaking but requires solutions that tackle cost of living as a whole, with tangible impacts for those not sat at the top table.
See our solutions here: t.co/5wXTiGSquk
Reform and Labour voters back Cost of Living Action's policies. A majority of those planning to vote for either party at the next election support all five of Cost of Living Action's policies to resolve the cost of living crisis.
It is within the government’s power to make changes that would deliver secure incomes for all, and drive down the spiralling costs that suffocate household budgets and stifle opportunities across the country.
A platform like this is supported by a majority of voters.
This reflects what we at @costoflivingaction.bsky.social
have found. The cost of living crisis is the biggest issue this country faces. People know it, and they feel it.
Our polling, covered by @alb-toth.bsky.social in the
@the-independent.com, found the same.
independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Read the fantastic new report 'Making or Taking', released today by COLA coalition partner @fairness.bsky.social: fairnessfoundation.com/making-or-ta...
"The British public are strongly opposed to business models that are seen as extractive. Particular anger is reserved for business models that are understood to exploit consumers, workers or society more broadly, including those that avoid tax or rip off consumers."
@costoflivingaction.bsky.social @osheaconor.bsky.social has written a piece for Labour List talking about the Cost of Living Action Campaign and what the government needs to be doing.
Cost of Living Action's campaign logo.
Cost of Living Action's platform is proven to be popular and would be effective.
www.costoflivingaction.org.uk
