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Energy News
Charities join to tackle fuel poverty
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
By Daniel Barnes- daniel@consumerchoices.co.uk
Massive energy price hikes are making gas and electricity bills too high for many.
Fifteen major anti-poverty, energy, environmental and health campaigning organisations have come together to fight fuel poverty.
Some 6.6m UK households are now in fuel poverty, spending over 10% of income on energy bills – as average fuel bills rose from £912 in 2008 to £1,293 at the start of 2010.
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition is warning the government will now miss its target of ending fuel poverty by 2016 and is demanding a radical overhauling the fuel poverty strategy.
Jonathan Stearn, energy expert for Consumer Focus, said: “It should be a right, not a privilege, for everybody to have a warm, dry home that they can afford to heat.
“What we need now is concerted action."
The coalition – which includes Age Concern and Help the Aged, the Child Poverty Action Group, Consumer Focus, Disability Alliance, Friends of the Earth, MacMillan Cancer Support, National Energy Action and the National Federation of Women's Institutes – is demanding 10 measures from the government to stop energy poverty.
Demands include:- A national energy efficiency upgrade programme for homes, bringing to together the broad range of existing programmes.
- The government to recognise the massive increases in energy prices when calculating benefits and pensions
- Widening eligibility for winter fuel payments
- Making sure all eligible people do claim for pay-outs.
- More action on social tariffs
- Lower costs for prepay meter customers.ul>
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