Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has backed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new drive to tackle the everyday costs and frustrations facing households, saying securing a fair deal for consumers should be a “basic principle”.
The intervention comes after Burnham announced the first measures in a programme of “everyday fixes”, beginning with a crackdown on difficult-to-cancel subscriptions and misleading retail discounts.
Writing on X, Fahnbulleh said:
“Taking action to bring down the cost of living isn’t just about the big things – it’s about fixing the everyday problems that cost people time, money and patience.
“Making sure people get a fair deal should be a basic principle.”
Her comments follow Burnham’s argument that “too many people feel like modern life is designed to catch them out”, with the Prime Minister insisting it should be as easy for consumers to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one.
Under the Government’s plans, new subscription rules will be brought forward to January 2027. Businesses will be required to give customers clearer information before they sign up, issue reminders about ongoing subscriptions and provide straightforward ways to cancel.
Consumers will also benefit from a new 14-day cooling-off period when a free or discounted trial ends or when a long-term subscription renews, giving people an additional opportunity to leave contracts they no longer want.
Burnham is also targeting what the Government describes as “pretend prices” and deceptive discounts. Ministers are looking at banning practices where prices are artificially inflated before being advertised as heavily discounted, creating a misleading impression of the saving being offered.
The measures are being presented as the opening phase of a wider cost-of-living programme from the new Labour Government.
Since entering Downing Street last month, Burnham has sought to put household finances at the centre of his premiership, with measures including action on electricity costs, bus fares and business rates alongside the latest consumer protections.
Fahnbulleh’s support is significant given her role as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and her longstanding focus on household bills and consumer policy. She previously served as a junior energy minister before Burnham appointed her to lead the department in July.
The Government says the subscription and pricing reforms are only the beginning of a series of practical interventions designed to give families more “room to breathe”.
For Fahnbulleh, the principle behind the agenda is straightforward: reducing the cost of living is not solely about major interventions in areas such as energy and housing, but also removing the smaller costs and frustrations that can add up for households every month.
