“While it is good the Government will continue to help the public sector as well as businesses keep their energy bills lower and provided some certainty for the next 12 months, we remain deeply concerned about the risk to some council services."
Responding to the Government’s announcement of the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, Cllr David Renard, Energy spokesman for the Local Government Association, said:
“While it is good the Government will continue to help the public sector as well as businesses keep their energy bills lower and provided some certainty for the next 12 months, we remain deeply concerned about the risk to some council services.
“Libraries and museums will be eligible for extra support, as energy-intensive industries, but leisure centres and swimming pools will not be equally protected from high energy prices.
“These valuable public facilities are at risk of reduced hours or even closure due to unsustainable and increasing costs.
“If the Government is serious about reducing pressure on the NHS, as well as meeting its other targets on physical activity and sports participation, it must continue to support our leisure centres and public swimming pools which help people stay active, healthy and out of hospital.
“Councils need support with their energy bills for all their local services, so they can stay open and provide a safe haven for residents during this unprecedented cost of living crisis.”