Non-governmental and non-profit association Together are urging people to contact their local MPs in a bid to add pressure to #AxeTheTax on fuel bills and domestic energy prices. With the cost-of-living crisis at an all-time high and inflation at a staggering 9.4%, Together are giving people the tools they need to call for action.
With the energy price cap expected to increase even further in Autumn, a winter like no other is ahead of us. It will be a long, dark winter for many, with people unable to afford to light and heat their homes across the UK.
Last week Together contacted large broadcasters and national newspapers to get in on the action. Now, they want you!
Step 1
Find your local MP. The internet is your best friend when it comes to finding members of parliament from your area. Use this handy tool to find your local MP by simply typing in your postcode.
Step 2
Email your MP. Once you have found out who the person to contact is, email them. It is important to include your address within your email, so they know you are a constituent and are directly impacted by their choices and actions in parliament.
Here is the template Together have provided for you to use:
RE: Axe The Tax
I am writing to request that you as a representative of your Party provide us with a plan of how and when they intend to reduce the cost-of-living increases with immediate effect by cutting VAT, fuel duty and all green levies on energy bills.
The unprecedented public spending on the response to Covid including the lockdowns which crippled businesses and led to job losses has resulted in national debt of approx. £2.7tn or about 101% GDP as of May 2022, which we as individual taxpayers will now have to pay back even though we did not consent to how that money was used.
We also now have an inflation rate at 9.1% as at June 2022 and increases in the cost of living for fuel, food, clothing with domestic gas and electricity bills prices rising by 21%.
Fuel duty stands at 52% and gas and electricity bills include a ‘green levy’ at approximately 15% and VAT at 5%. In addition, the price cap on energy prices is due to increase by a further 46% in October 2022.
As there have been no tax cuts in real terms for several years, wages alone are unlikely to cushion the blow of these damaging cost-of-living increases.
The knock-on effect of the lockdowns, covid policies over last two years and the cost-of-living raises is that we will have to cut down on non-essential goods which will have a serious and detrimental impact on other industries leading to businesses closures and significant job losses.
Families in the UK are struggling to cope with the increases in costs especially for food, gas and electricity which are the most essential. The higher our fuel bills, the more money the treasury makes in taxes whilst families have less money – that is not fair.
We face plunging millions of households into poverty or living without being able to heat their homes.
This is a completely unacceptable crisis and one that is avoidable if the government chooses to act now.
As a supporter of Together Declaration, we demand the following with immediate effect:
- Reduce fuel duty currently at 52%
- Remove the Government and environmental and social schemes tax on domestic gas and electricity currently at approximately 15%
- Cut VAT on domestic gas and electricity bills currently at 5%
- Cut VAT on fuel currently at 20%
- A price cap of £1,300 for direct debit and pre-payment customers
These tax cuts will reduce the overall inflation rate and therefore reduce the overall financial burden on individuals and businesses.
We urge you act quickly and ask your Party to end these unfair and unjustified prices rises for fuel, gas, and electricity immediately as they are already having a devastating effect on individuals, families, businesses, and the economy.
Yours sincerely,
Step 3
Spread the word. Use social media to spread the word about the #AxeTheTax campaign. Discuss it with your friends, family and neighbours. What if you don’t have social media? Mention it in conversation next time you are chatting with a friend on the phone, or when seeing a family member for lunch.
Together also have a great template for a social media post, should you choose to do one:
Today I wrote to my MP [@PUT THEIR TWITTER HANDLE HERE] because it’s time to Axe The Tax on fuel and domestic energy bills
#AxeTheTax @trussliz @RishiSunak
@Togetherdec axethetax.uk
You can also include the below graphic in your post to ensure it catches people’s attention.
You can share this message on as many social media platforms as you would like; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more!
Remember, every small action helps create a reaction. If you are struggling to pay your fuel or energy bills or are worried about the coming months, make sure to check out our money saving and money-making tips. We also have a list of the hardship grants available in July and August.
