THE recent cold snap and almost Biblical rain that came with it must have been hard for many struggling to meet their hiked energy bills. Sadly, it’s those with the least who are proportionately paying the most. That’s because those on pre-paid meters face higher charges than those of us on credit payments. For some a pre-paid meter is forced through their private landlord and for others it’s a way of budgeting.

But in neither case should they require to pay a premium for their energy, which is a necessity for living. Those in the most straightened circumstances will also find that when they do utilise power, the card they’ve bought will largely be used up on standing charges that have morphed.

Yet there’s no technical reason that those on pre-payment meters should pay more. It comes about as I discovered from a response I received from the Energy Department because of UK Government policy. Ofgem could ensure that charges are equalised. It would require a modest increase in the credit rate but would be a huge saving for those most in need. That should be done as a matter of urgency.

Rishi Sunak, or rather his wife’s tax affairs, have recently been in the news. Normally, family are entirely off-limits in politics. It’s something I’ve always sought to respect and if this were a traffic misdemeanour or other tittle tattle, I’d agree.

But he’s the Chancellor of the Exchequer and this relates to her tax affairs. Her position is entirely dependent on policy decisions made by him. Likewise, as a married couple their tax affairs are intertwined as allowances etc can be transferred and assets will be owned jointly.

Hence why suggestions that it’s nothing to do with him and she shouldn’t be mentioned are absurd. He has allowed her to achieve a position where she’s savings millions, many millions, in tax – revenue that he has a duty to collect for the public interest which he’s elected to serve.

It’s in his judgement as much as policy that Sunak has been found wanting.