‘Insulated from pain’: MPs claimed £200,000 to pay utility bills on second homes last year

Exclusive: Taxpayers’ support to heat MPs’ second homes ‘adds insult to injury’, say campaigners

MPs charged taxpayers almost £200,000 for energy bills and other utilities at their second homes over the past year, new analysis by The Independent has found.

Campaigners said the findings showed that Britain’s elected representatives were partly “insulated” from financial pain during the cost of living crisis, since much of their energy costs are covered by the public purse.

Politicians with seats outside London are allowed to put utility bills on expenses at one of their homes – whether it is in the capital or in their constituency.