It is a tale of two numbers. Households in the UK will see their energy bills rise by a total of £19.3bn. Meanwhile, a single energy company, BP, reported a profit of £9.5bn in 2021, up from a loss of £4.2bn in 2020.

Many feel this proves the big energy companies are profiting directly from people's misery. The sector is already facing criticism because of its slow change to green energy. 

But some think we should not be so quick to judge the fossil fuel companies. They point out that we all benefit from the energy they provide.

Fossil fuels underpin our comfortable modern lives. They transport consumer goods to us over long distances, and sometimes transport us over long distances for holidays. They heat our houses and cook our food.

And fossil fuel companies do seem to understand the need for an energy transition. Many have set themselves net-zero targets for 2050. In a world that is going green, the companies have an incentive to maintain their dominance of the energy market by investing in renewable options.

Others think this is nonsense. Fossil fuel companies talk about renewable energy but in reality they are investing next to nothing in it. In 2020 less than 12% of their total spending was on renewable energy. 

Moreover, the companies have often actually lobbied against green measures and spread disinformation about the climate. One study found that the five largest oil and gas companies are spending £153m per year to delay or block policies to tackle the climate crisis.

And when climate breakdown was first detected by scientists working for Exxon in the early 1980s, the company covered up the research, recognising it as a threat to their very existence.

Yes: Big energy companies are making billions off the backs of ordinary families, and they are driving the world into oblivion by blocking climate measures. Time to bring them to heel.

No: The fossil fuel giants provide a service that underpins our very way of life. Thanks to them, ordinary people enjoy a level of comfort that has been unthinkable throughout most of human history.

Or... Fossil fuel companies were vital for getting us to where we are today, and if they turn their vast profits towards green energy they can solve the climate crisis. We just need to nudge them in the right direction.