Ditch price cap for ‘free basic energy’ plan to help poorest, report says

New Economics Foundation sets out proposals for government to pay for gas and electricity use up to a limit

• A crisis is coming for UK energy prices and this is what has to be done

Every household in Britain should have some of their energy bill paid for by the government to help protect the poorest families, according to a report.

Setting out radical plans to tackle the energy crisis, the New Economics Foundation thinktank (NEF) said a system of free basic energy" could be launched as early as next year to replace the consumer price cap for gas and electricity bills.