Because many people are having to work from home and children are having to be home schooled at the moment, so everyone is using much more gas and electricity, especially whilst it is extremely cold. Everyone is struggling as most households now have at least one member of the household either furloughed or unemployed as they have been let go during this time. But we are all now struggling to pay our energy bills even more or just freezing because we are scared to use it.

Because everyone needs heating and cooking services and the pandemic means more people at home with children and vulnerable people

Many of us have lost jobs and are struggling with their basic needs. Reduction in gas and electricity bills will help massively. People are seeing increase in their bills because they are working from home, home schooling for kids etc has pushed the bills high.

This is important for these reasons 1- the quantum heating is too expensive to use. 2- the power goes out several times a year often for long periods 3- parts of the county have no gass connection i myself live in one of these areas leaving us with no source of secondary heating, which south Shropshire housing association said over a year ago was a requirement and that is why they were fitting all there houses with quantome heating and solid fuel burners in the first place.

It is vital today for everyone to heat their homes, have hot water and cook hot food. In order to do this the public has no choice but to have a contractual agreement with a profit driven energy supplier. The poor and the elderly are the most vulnerable to this strangely and sometimes can’t afford to heat their homes whilst these companies make billions.

Due to the outbreak of Corona virus, many people are forced to stay and work at their homes. This means that their energy usage will increase. But for some people, like those on zero hours contracts or self employed, who are already left in a difficult financial situation, this could mean to not having the means to pay for their energy. Ivana, a self employed single mother of three is now worried. Schools are closing and her young children will be staying at home without any heating or electricity as she doesn't have money to top-up her meter, once her emergency credit of £5 is used up. Energy companies should provide help for people like Ivana, by offering extra emergency credit, payment breaks or free energy.

The government has released the The Future Homes Standard 2019 Consultation on changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for new dwellings for consultation, but it is a huge and complicated document that takes a long time to fill in even if you know what it is talking about! But we are in a Climate Emergency - we just need to change the Building Regulations to make sure that all new homes are built to a much better standard. Zero Carbon in use is a good starting point, so let's not make it too complicated. Please sign this petition to make sure that we start building much better houses. Once they are built houses are very difficult and expensive to upgrade, so doing it now is the only sensible answer.

Tackling the Climate Crisis means cutting back our energy use everywhere possible and this one would capture a very good percentage of wasted energy.

A lot of people who use prepayment meters do it because the are in very low income stream households & it avoids getting a big bill which could financially send them under. Also many of these users are not only elderly, infirm, but also disabled & in many cases unable to travel long distances. The paypoints traditonally have been in local newsagent shops, easy to walk to and access, plus open very early in the morning to very late at night (10pm in my local shop). I have learnt it is going to be introduced that people will have to go to a Post Office to top up from January. Also the minimum had been made £5 instead of £1.........well that I can understand, in a way but it does'nt help people who are really struggling hand to mouth. But the part that is really wrong is topping up at post offices - firstly loads have been closed down anyway, the hours are limited which doesnt help those who are working to top up easily, plus it may be very difficult for disabled, or elderly people to travel the journey to a post office to just get gas/electricity! I believe this decision is hindering not helping the people most vulnerable & in difficulty in our Society, who British Gas, with their huge multi million profits yearly, surely have a duty to try & physically make it as convienient as possible to pay their utilities. To force people onto a pay as you go smart meter is not practical.....there are still people without Bank Accounts and a lot of elderly who do not have access to or know how to use a computer. Lets keep society integrated and inclusive and leave the paypoint system which works perfectly well; well alone!

elderly and vulnerable customers risk being cut off in the middle of winter as we the paying customers haven't been told

It's more environmentally friendly to be charged for what energy people use when their using it, not what people don't use. Easier for customers to compare prices if all companies show solely the per kilowatt rate and have no standing charge. Fairer for the poorest of people to have greater control of their bills.

A massive amount of energy is wasted because companies leave their office lighting on at night when they are not in use. Additionally there is unnecessary light pollution over most cities. This saving and adjustment can be done literally through the "touch of a switch".