Reform pledges to scrap VAT and green levies on energy bills

Reform UK has promised to scrap VAT and green levies on household energy bills if the party wins power. It said the move would save the average family £200 a year. There has been a renewed focus on energy costs since the outbreak of the war in Iran, with fears a sustained rise in the price of oil will lead to a surge into household bills. The government has already announced that from April some levies will be scrapped or funded from general taxation, leading to a fall in energy costs for a typical household. However, bills could rise again in July when the cap on energy bills is reset. Separately the government has announced £53m of support for "vulnerable" households using heating oil, whose energy prices are not capped like consumers who use gas and electricity. Reform has also launched a prize draw to promote its announcement, with the party promising to pay the energy bills of the winner and their entire street, up to a maximum value of £3,500 per property. The terms and conditions of the competition state that Reform "may determine what constitutes a 'street' or group of residences in its reasonable discretion". A party spokesman said the competition did not breach electoral