GREEN Party MP Caroline Lucas has called for the nationalisation of energy companies to deal with the looming price crisis.

It comes as inflation peaked at 10.1 per cent today, with wages falling behind inflation according to statistics from the ONS.

The Brighton Pavilion MP suggested that the Big Five energy firms should become publicly owned, as well as capping fuel bills at Autumn 2021 prices.

She said: “Just this week I've heard from a mum of two disabled children in Brighton & Hove, anxious about how her family will cope if they cannot pay their bills.

“People across the city are facing a cost of living scandal, leaving them with impossible choices about how to make ends meet.

“The government must step in – to help get spiralling bills under control, and to keep people warm this winter. While other parties offer nothing more than temporary sticking plasters - or nothing at all - the Green Party has a plan to meet the scale of the crisis.”

Alongside the calls to nationalise energy providers, the Green Party is also calling for a local authority-led home insulation programme.

The news comes as residents across Sussex and the UK face a mounting cost of living crisis, with energy bills expected to soar in October.

Energy price caps are expected to rise considerably in the coming months, with the maximum that can be paid nearly doubling to around £3,582.

The plans announced the Green Party are the furthest any party has gone in tackling the energy crisis, with Labour proposing a six-month price freeze and the Conservatives offering one-off payments to UK homes.