Keir Starmer will on Monday announce tens of millions of pounds worth of support for Britons hit by a rise in energy prices as a result of the Iran war.
The Prime Minister will set out the plans during a Downing Street press conference on Monday, during which he will also criticize some heating oil suppliers for price manipulation.
The support package is understood to be primarily aimed at people who use diesel to heat their homes, many of whom live in rural areas of Northern Ireland, where the Prime Minister visited last week.
Starmer will say: “It’s moments like this that tell you what government is all about.
“My answer is clear. Whatever challenges lie ahead, this government will always support workers. That is my first instinct, my first priority, to help them with the cost of living during this crisis.”
Oil prices have soared in recent days as a result of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil supply passes.
The impact is being felt both at service stations and the estimated 1.7 million UK homes that use heating oil, which are not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap.
The Guardian revealed last week that ministers would provide help to those in England through councils using the new crisis and resilience fund, while devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive money to deliver the aid.
As well as announcing the additional support, Starmer will criticize heating oil suppliers after the competition watchdog warned there was evidence of already agreed deliveries being canceled or renegotiated.
The Competition and Markets Authority has launched a review of the sector and has written to suppliers asking for more information about their contracts.
Starmer will say on Monday: “I will not tolerate companies trying to exploit this crisis to make money off workers… If companies have broken the law, there will be legal action.”
Ministers are also not ruling out the possibility of canceling a planned increase in fuel taxes in September.
Asked on Sunday whether that increase would go ahead, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC: “We will support the British people through this crisis and do whatever it takes to get it done.”
