Rishi Sunak will splash out up to £13,000 a year to heat his new swimming pool, according to Mirror reports, more than six times the average energy bill for a family home.
The under-fire chancellor got the go-ahead to develop the complex in a paddock at Kirby Sigston Manor, near Northallerton, last year, which included building a swimming pool, gym and tennis court.
The grade II listed house, built in 1826, is in the MP’s Richmond constituency.
But the huge rise in the energy price cap for consumers this month means that the cost of heating his pool has increased by up to £3,500 a year.
According to British Gas, the average annual energy bill for a three-bedroom house under the new price cap is £1,970.57 – less than a sixth of the cost of heating the pool.
Responding to the revelation, York Labour MP Rachel Maskell told the Mirror: “Could a Tory Chancellor be any more out of touch if they tried? He may have now given up his US green card but as far as most people are concerned Rishi Sunak is living on another planet.”
Constituents in the area also shared their angst.
Pauline Porter, a retired shopworker, said: “It is disgusting, especially in these times. They have no idea how normal people live. They just don’t care.”
Her husband Leslie, 69, agreed. The retired steelworker said: “Some people are having to choose between heating and eating. Bills are all rising and he does this. It’s obscene.”
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