CORNWALL Councillor for Looe West and Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council Edwina Hannaford has revealed she had a key role in having an amendment added to the new council budget to help alleviate fuel poverty for families struggling to make ends meet.

Cornwall Councillors approved a budget for 2022/23 containing an extra £45 million support for adult social care services at a full council meeting at County Hall, Truro, on Tuesday. The proposals also include £1.3 billion of capital investment, including support for economic growth projects that create homes and jobs for residents and reflect their priorities.

Cornwall Councillor for Looe West, Lansallos, Pelynt and Lanteglos Edwina Hannaford put forward the Lib Dem group amendment which will inject £400,000 into the fuel poverty voucher scheme to proving a lifesaver to families having to choose between heating and eating, and this was agreed to by the council on the morning before the budget was approved.

It’s estimated that 13% of households in Cornwall are in fuel poverty. New data being published in June expects that this percentage will rise significantly from the current 36,000 households in fuel poverty as the price cap is lifted.

Cllr Hannaford said the previous fuel voucher scheme administered by Cornwall Energy Plus had run out of funds for this purpose right at the time when they were most needed. Cornwall Liberal Democrats proposed a continuation of the fuel voucher scheme using the COVID hardship fund underspend and rolling it over to continue the scheme which issues three £49 vouchers towards fuel bills.

Cllr Hannaford said: “While millions struggle to make ends meet, energy companies are raking in record profits and people are too scared to turn on the heating. Shell profits this year - £14 billion, BP profits this year - £9.5 billion. That’s a combined profit of over £44,000 a minute. This amendment is about fairness, a core Liberal Democrat value.

“Liberal Democrats want a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, which we believe is the best way to get money to the people who need it quickly and fairly. This ‘Robin Hood’ windfall tax would raise £5 billion to help low-income families – taking more than £300 off their heating bills.

“Some of this money could go toward insulating homes which both saves on future heating bills and helps us fight climate change. It can’t be right that a few energy fat cats are raking it in from record gas prices while millions of people can’t even afford to heat their homes.

“With the increase in National Insurance contributions from April, we cannot ignore this crisis any longer, while families face an impossible choice between heating and eating.”

The council’s 2022/23 budget plan will see Cornwall Council’s Council Tax charge rise by 1.99%, plus an additional 1% for the Government’s adult social care precept. This total 2.99% rise is the equivalent of a 96p per week increase for an average band D property.