George Osborne and Alan Duncan have announced plans to reform the Post Office Card Account (POCA) and potentially reduce the energy bills of up to four million people by £100.

Under their proposals, families without bank accounts will be able to use their POCA to pay utility bills using the equivalent of a Direct Debit.  This will enable them to benefit from the lower energy and water tariffs offered to customers paying by direct debit.

This measure, which has support from leading utility companies, will generate significant savings for energy companies through lower collection costs, which can be passed onto consumers in the form of lower bills.

[This measure is] a significant weapon for attacking the growing pain of fuel poverty

Alan Duncan MP

Mr Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, stressed reforming the POCA would tackle the unfair situation whereby the poorest households end up paying more for their energy and water bills.

Alan Duncan MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, described the measure as “a significant weapon for attacking the growing pain of fuel poverty.”

In a recent letter to the Lancaster Guardian, Miles Bennington, Conservative Representative for Primrose, responds to a letter from Labour Councillor Liz Scott.

Dear Sir,

I’d like to thank everyone who signed the petition to clean up Primrose.  In response to Liz Scott’s letter in last week’s edition, I’d like to thank her for starting her review into the state of Lancaster’s pavements - it’s nice to see some action so soon after my petition!

However, I’m not sure what a review will really achieve.  I’m sure most people in Lancaster could tell her what needs doing; broken pavements need fixing and holes in the road need mending.

I’d like to thank everyone who signed the petition to clean up Primrose

Miles Bennington

Perhaps instead of commissioning a review, Liz Scott and her fellow Labour Party colleagues could have voted in favour of the extra £47 million for roads and pavements proposed by the Conservatives earlier this year.

She was right when she said I don’t live in Primrose, but the people who complained to me do and at least the publicity generated by the petition might see some action at last for the residents and some return for their Council Tax.

Miles Bennington
Conservative Representative for Lancaster East