Government told to ‘wage war on bills’

The government has been urged to make tackling the cost of living its top priority.

According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), food and energy costs are the two biggest causes of financial stress right now.

But polling suggests that more than a third of people believe government mistakes are responsible for prices remaining high, ahead of factors like Brexit and the Ukraine war.

As a result, the IPPR believes the government should make reducing the cost of living its “defining mission” for the rest of the parliament.

What could be done to reduce the cost of living?

The IPPR believes that any interventions to drive down prices don’t need to be “huge or significantly costly”.

For example, it has suggested:

• forcing smaller convenience supermarkets to stock cheaper, non-branded items
• making larger supermarket discounts available to all shoppers, not just members
• forcing companies to stick ‘shrinkflation’ labels on products
• ending in-contract price rises
• cutting energy bills by subsidising electricity costs
• making solar power cheaper

“The cost of living is still the public’s number one concern,” said Sam Alvis, associate director for the environment and energy security at the IPPR.

“A government that declares a war on bills - and means it - can show it’s fighting on the side of working people.”

The IPPR added that centre-left governments around the world are only being re-elected when they have successfully cut the cost of living.

Help is available

If you’re struggling to keep up with your regular expenses, there are practical steps you can take.

Find out what benefits you could get

You might be entitled to financial support from the government, so use our benefits calculator to see what you can claim.

Contact your energy supplier

If you’re struggling with your energy bills, speak to your supplier.

They might be able to offer:

• grants
• payment plans
• advice on managing your account
• emergency credit if you’re on a prepayment meter

It could also be worth joining the Priority Services Register for extra support.

Create a household budget

Look at how much money you have coming in and where it’s going.

You’ll then be able to work out where you can make up savings and free up cash for essential costs.

Check our guide on how to create a budget to get started.

Change how you shop

If you find it hard to keep up with rising grocery costs, it’s really worth shopping around for the best deals.

Lidl was recently named the UK’s cheapest supermarket by Which?, but Aldi has also taken this crown in recent months.

So if you’re in the habit of shopping at the same supermarket each week, changing it up could help you save money.

It’s also worth looking at your shopping habits, such as buying plenty of non-perishable food and planning your meals in advance.

We’ve put together some handy tips on how to keep the cost of your weekly shop down to help you get more for your hard-earned money.

Tackle problem debts

If you’re dealing with debt, then get in touch for confidential, practical and impartial debt advice, and we can discuss what options are open to you.