Cost-of-living: Power blackouts warning as one in four set to switch off heating during winter

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has warned the UK has a “zombie government” which is “nowhere to be seen” as people across the country struggle more and more with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The Glasgow MSP said he had “struggled to contain his anger” in the face of inaction from Westminster.

An energy expert has warned that the UK is facing the prospect of power blackouts this winter, as he said the UK Government needed to find more cash to "help people through this crisis".

With the price cap now due to rise to £3,549 from October, London Energy Consulting chief executive David Cox said the mechanism was "not protecting consumers in any way".

People will "only get through this winter with the aid of Government money", he insisted – accusing politicians at Westminster of "glossing over" the problem.

Speaking on The Sunday Show, Mr Cox said: "We're going to be short of gas in Europe for this winter. That will drive prices potentially even higher.

"Not only that, we might be short of gas to the extent that we have blackouts, we don't have enough gas to burn to make electricity, and that is a serious problem the Government are glossing over at the moment."

He said that the North Sea supplies about 40% of the UK's gas, leaving the UK to import the remainder of its supply.

However, Mr Cox said shortages in Europe meant the UK would not be able to turn there and could instead have to import supplies from countries further afield, such as the US and Quatar.

The analyst said that 40 per cent of UK electricity came from gas-fired generation, adding: "If we don't get that gas the lights will go out and we will have power cuts."

He went on to warn "if we have a cold winter, colder than average, we are in serious, serious problems".

The Scottish Labour leader has laid into politicians both in Westminster and at Holyrood for a lack of action to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis.

He said: “Where the hell is our government? They should be out there right now cancelling this increase and making sure we are supporting families across the country.

“And they should also be giving more support to businesses who have no cap at all, meaning lots of businesses will go bust, unemployment will go up, families get pushed in destitution.”

Mr Sarwar, speaking on The Sunday Show, added: “This is a crisis moment and both our governments have a moral duty to act.”

Labour is among the parties demanding the UK Government “immediately cancel the increase” in the energy price cap.

But Mr Sarwar added that Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Government had “powers and responsibility too”, as he said Labour at Holyrood was pushing for emergency cost-of-living legislation to be brought in.

This could be used to cap rail and bus fares, freeze rents and prevent evictions, Mr Sarwar said.

Bruce Adamson, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, also insisted “urgent action” was needed from all levels of government.

Mr Adamson has already warned energy regulators at Ofgem that the rise in the cap will see more families “pushed into poverty and destitution with devastating consequences”.

Speaking about the current situation facing families, he told BBC Radio Scotland: “We’re in a real crisis. It requires urgent action at all levels of government.

“Anyone who has got any level of power needs to be thinking about how they can use their powers in the most effective way and use the resources they have most effectively.

“We’re talking about a rights issue and in the most extreme we’re talking about the lives of children.”

Meanwhile pollsters asked more than 2,000 UK adults how they would respond to increasing energy prices over the winter – 23% said they would not turn their heating on at all, rising to 27% among parents with under-18s.

The LibDems, who commissioned the survey, warned families are being forced to make “heartbreaking decisions”, with the country “on the brink of the worst cost-of living-crisis in a century.

The party is calling for ministers to scrap the energy price cap rise in October, funded partly by a further windfall tax on oil and gas companies.

Christine Jardine, the Lib Dems’ Cabinet Office spokeswoman, said: “Families and pensioners across the country are making heartbreaking decisions because the Government has failed to save them.

“It is a national scandal that parents are having to choose between heating their homes and feeding their children. It shouldn’t be like this.

“Britain is on the brink of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a century and yet still Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will not scrap the energy price rise. It is clear energy prices must not be allowed to rise in October.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We know people are incredibly worried about rising energy bills, following unprecedented gas prices across the continent driven by global events, including (Vladimir) Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and his weaponisation of energy in Europe.

“Direct support will continue to reach people’s pockets in the weeks and months ahead, targeted at those who need it most like low-income households, pensioners and those with disabilities.

“As part of our £37 billion package of help for households, one in four of all UK households will see £1,200 extra support, provided in instalments across the year, and everyone will receive a £400 discount on their energy bills over winter."

“The Civil Service is also making the appropriate preparations in order to ensure that any additional support or commitments on cost of living can be delivered as quickly as possible when the new prime minister is in place.”