{
  "id": 3484835,
  "title": "‘Broken promises’: Burnham under fire on cost-of-living plans as energy bills set to surge",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/broken-promises-burnham-under-fire-on-cost-of-living-plans-as-energy",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-26T09:51:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/burnham-cost-of-living-drive-in-doubt-as-energy-bills-rise/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The cost of living crisis has put Prime Minister Andy Burnham under scrutiny over his ability to deliver on his promise to reduce household energy bills. Opposition figures have criticized the government for breaking Labour's pledge, with some going so far as to call the anticipated price hike \"outrageous\". The energy watchdog Ofgem announced that the cap on energy bills will increase by four per cent from October, raising the average annual bill to £1,723. Burnham acknowledged that the rising costs would be difficult for households and stated that scrapping VAT from electricity bills would not be sufficient to halt the price increase. The opposition has accused the government of failing to deliver on the £300 reduction in energy bills that was promised. Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho stated that Labour had increased energy bills by nearly £400 instead. Victoria Atkins, shadow environment secretary, described the hike as \"outrageous\" and expressed concerns about the impact on vulnerable households. October's rise in energy bills follows a 13 per cent increase in July, and analysts warn that further rises are on the horizon. Brent crude prices, which dictate international oil prices, have surged to around $110 per barrel, though they have since fallen back to $85 per barrel. The government could consider removing policy costs from energy bills to alleviate the burden on households, according to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.",
  "summary": "Andy Burnham is facing pressure over his commitment to tackle the cost-of-living crisis as energy bills are set to jump again. Opposition figures have accused the Prime Minister of breaking Labour’s pledge to cut household energy bills, with one Tory figure dubbing the price hike “outrageous”. The price cap on bills is set to rise [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}