53) Faithless: social tariffs a better option to protect consumers?
The merits and pitfalls of the current Default Tariff Cap on domestic energy bills have been debated at length. Whether the cap is seen as a blunt tool in need of replacement, or a vital intervention to protect large numbers of energy consumers, it is clear that further support for vulnerable customers, in the context of a developing cost-of-living crisis, will be essential. While the energy sector cannot solve all of the issues that feed into the ongoing cost-of-living crisis across Europe, it can help. While this could be done in several different ways (refocusing on energy efficiency, bolstering existing support), we focus in this Podcast on reducing bills for a subset of customers through the provision of social tariffs.