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Reform UK has unveiled plans to eliminate VAT and green levies from household energy bills if it forms the next government. The party claims that this proposal would reduce annual costs for the average family by around £200. This announcement comes amid growing concerns over rising energy prices, particularly following the conflict in Iran, which has heightened fears of increased oil prices driving up household energy expenses.
The current government has already taken steps to reduce some levies from April, partly funded through general taxation, aimed at lowering energy bills for typical households. Despite these measures, there is apprehension that energy bills might rise again in July, when the energy price cap is scheduled for adjustment. In an effort to promote its policy, Reform UK is launching a prize draw offering to pay the energy bills of both the winner and their entire street. A party spokesperson has confirmed that this initiative complies with electoral law, stating, “If people think there is anything improper in this, they should report us. They won’t because there isn’t.”
At a rally in London, Nigel Farage is expected to criticize the current net zero policies pursued by Labour and the Conservatives, saying, “Labour and the Conservatives have pursued a net zero agenda that has only led to skyrocketing energy bills for working people.” Echoing this sentiment, Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, condemned the existing tax burden on energy, declaring, “It’s outrageous that as people face soaring bills, the chancellor is slapping £200 worth of levies and taxes on the price of energy.”
Breaking down the proposed savings, Reform UK plans to remove the VAT on household energy bills, currently set at 5%, which it estimates would save an average household £78 annually under current prices. Additionally, the party intends to scrap the Renewables Obligation levy, which helps fund renewable energy projects and is estimated by the Treasury to add £117 to the average energy bill in 2025/26. They also propose getting rid of the Carbon Price Support levy, forecasted to save households an extra £15 each year. Reform argues that these measures would become cost-neutral in the long run by dismantling renewable subsidies. Initially, the policy would be financed through a 7.5% cut in budgets allocated to unprotected quangos — taxpayer-funded, arm’s length bodies — which Reform estimates would save £2.5 billion annually by 2029/30. An audit of quangos is currently underway to determine which should be abolished, absorbed into central government, or maintained
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