Millions of families face yet another hike in heating bills to pay
for a massive expansion of green energy.
Ministers say that the money raised will subsidise solar panels, wind
turbines and wood-burning boilers for hundreds of thousands of homes.
But critics warn that the levy is an 'insidious' stealth tax that
will hammer households at a time of rising unemployment, falling incomes
and economic uncertainty.
We are already paying an average of £410 more on our annual
energy bills after price rises last year of 59 per cent for gas and
26 per cent for electricity.
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The green levy, or 'Renewable Heating Incentive', is part of an energy
package to be unveiled today by the Energy and Climate Secretary Ed
Miliband.
As well as grants for domestic windmills and solar panels, he will
announce plans to insulate seven million homes.
The measures will be funded by the levy on fossil fuel energy suppliers
- which will be passed on to us in our household bills.
