Liz Truss Says UK 'Will Get Through Winter Together' After Blocking Public Information Campaign

Liz Truss has said the UK will “get through this winter”, following reports she blocked a public information campaign designed help people save money on energy bills.

In a series of tweets on Friday afternoon, the prime minister said she had taken “decisive action” to support households and businesses with costs.

“Together, we will get through this winter, grow our economy and secure our energy independence for the future,” she said.

According to The Times, business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg had prepared a £15m media blitz designed to give tips on how people could save up to £300 a year.

But the prime minister reportedly cancelled the campaign as she was “ideologically opposed” to the idea as it was too interventionist. 

This morning, climate minister Graham Stuart said the government was not a “nanny state” and there was “not enormous use” in telling people to use less energy.

“We’re not in the business of telling people how to live their lives,” he told Times Radio.

But Tory MP Guy Opperman, a former minister, said he was “fully behind” a campaign to help people save money.

“This is not nanny state. It is preserving supply, saving money for everyone, and encouraging localism,” he said.

Opperman said the UK should follow the lead of other European countries such as Germany and France which have introduced measures such as not heating public buildings warmer than 19C.

Rees-Mogg’s axed plan was said to have promoted things such as as lowering the temperature of boilers, turning off radiators in empty rooms and advising people to turn off the heating when they go out.

Truss said: “We have taken decisive action to support households and businesses with their energy costs – and we’re working to make sure the United Kingdom is never in this position again by tackling the root cause of the energy crisis.

“That means producing more energy here at home.

“To secure our long-term energy supply and reduce reliance on authoritarian regimes, we’re accelerating our domestic energy production, including launching a new North Sea oil and gas licensing round.

“We’re also speeding up deployment of renewables including hydrogen, solar and wind.

“Yesterday I held discussions with our allies on progressing Sizewell C and building more nuclear power stations.

“We’re also working to get better prices for people now – our energy supply taskforce is negotiating new long-term agreements with gas suppliers.

“Together, we will get through this winter, grow our economy and secure our energy independence for the future.”

The Times quoted a government source describing the campaign as a “no-brainer” and said No.10 had made a “stupid decision” in blocking it.