Brown's energy snub to councils

摘要

PM Gordon Brown is set to snub local government calls for a ￡500m windfall tax on energy suppliers, but Number 10 is seeking a package of measures aimed at preventing a fuel poverty crisis. Downing Street sources this week revealed Mr Brown was in discussions with energy companies over measures worth hundreds of millions of pounds, and designed to protect the UK's poorest households from rising fuel bills. Plans to get energy groups to pay more for permits to produce carbon emissions are under consideration - a move that could raise public revenues by ￡100m a year, which could then be spent on combating fuel poverty. Other measures could include an accelerated home-insulation programme and stricter targets to reduce home-based carbon emissions.