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Emergency help for poorer households hit by energy bills driven up by the Iran war is to be unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer.
The government says it will provide “targeted” support for families that rely on heating oil, the cost of which has risen by 80% in a week.
The prime minister is also threatening legal action, which could include fines or other financial penalties, against suppliers who rip off customers.
“It’s moments like this that tell you what a government is about,” the prime minister will claim at a news conference in Downing Street.
“My answer is clear. Whatever challenges lie ahead, this government will always support working people.
“That is my first instinct – my first priority – to help you with the cost of living through this crisis.”
The PM will also hit out at claims that some suppliers are cancelling orders for heating oil and then “jacking up prices”.
He will say: “I will not tolerate companies trying to exploit this crisis to make money from working people. If the companies have broken the law, there will be legal action.”
The crackdown follows the PM’s visit to Northern Ireland last week, where around 60% of households use heating oil and have seen a sharp rise in prices since the start of the war.
In a Times interview on Saturday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised “targeted” support for poorer households and said a universal bailout for every household would be unaffordable.
“I’ve found the money and we’ve worked through with MPs and others a response for people who are…
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