‘Trump tax’ from Iran war blamed for soaring bills as Brits look for new home energy solutions

A significant proportion of the British public are showing increasing interest in home energy solutions such as solar panels, insulation and heat pumps, due to concerns about rising costs and what many have labeled a “Trump tax”.

Surveys show that a third of adults are now turning to these facilities more following the latest conflict in Iran.

But the survey of more than 2,000 adults by the Survation for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition revealed a major hurdle: 60 percent believe such energy-saving technologies are too expensive to install.

This financial hurdle comes as almost three-quarters (71 per cent) advocate more government support for insulation and 68 per cent want more funding for solar panels and heat pumps to ease future energy crises by reducing consumption and household bills.

While energy prices are expected to increase starting from July, 83 percent of the survey participants expressed their concerns and 44 percent stated that they could not afford these increases.

In response, 73 percent call for targeted government aid, while 67 percent believe support should be extended to all households.

The April survey also found that three-quarters (76 per cent) of the public blamed US President Donald Trump for energy bill increases due to the Iran conflict that will affect UK homes, while almost two-thirds (63 per cent) agreed these increases constituted a “Trump tax” on their bills.

In addition to political figures, public anger is also directed at energy companies.

Two-thirds (64 percent) believe the energy sector has profited from the Iran conflict, which has seen oil and gas prices rise. What’s more, more than half of those surveyed think it would be wrong to end the windfall tax on energy companies now.

While rising energy prices, exacerbated by the US-Israeli war against Iran, have caused 35 percent of individuals to become more interested in home energy technology that could reduce their bills, only a quarter reported no change in interest and a fifth already had the technology.

Of those more interested, 45% were keen on rooftop solar panels, 36% wanted more home insulation, 35% were interested in the new plug-in solar option the Government plans to bring to shops and 26% were more interested in buying a heat pump.

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The public are fed up with history repeating itself.

“They want to protect themselves from oil and gas price shocks indefinitely, and the Government has both the tools and the authority to help them do that.

“Energy firms have made profits of £125bn from their UK operations in the last five years, and companies such as BP are already expecting high profits from the new crisis.

“The windfall tax revenue generated by the Treasury must go further to help households cut their bills altogether,” he said, calling on the Government to make its “warm homes scheme” more ambitious and guarantee that the energy efficiency of every upgraded home will increase and bills will fall.

Under the £15bn scheme, homeowners will be able to access low- and zero-interest loans, while low-income and fuel-starved households will benefit from free upgrades for insulation, solar panels, heat pumps and batteries.

Robert Palmer, deputy director of Uplift, a campaign group backing the UK’s transition away from fossil fuel production, said: “People clearly know they have been hit with the Trump Tax.

“We face higher energy bills, skyrocketing fuel prices and more expensive mortgages.

“Our dependence on fossil fuels is making us all poorer. Everyone except the oil and gas magnates and their shareholders, who are once again ready to put in money at our expense.”

He said further drilling in the North Sea “won’t take a penny off our bills” and would not have a meaningful impact on Britain’s gas supplies, as Mr Trump has repeatedly demanded.

“The only way to protect ourselves from these risks is to turn to renewable energy sources such as wind and retrofit our homes with solar power and heat pumps, so we can wean ourselves off oil and gas and make sure we have a livable planet,” he said.