Freezing winter for millions in fuel poverty

BRITAIN is in the grip of the worst fuel poverty crisis in decades and the number of Yorkshire households likely to go cold this winter could rise to 600,000 – a figure that has nearly doubled in the past four years.

Figures obtained by the Yorkshire Post show that 6.6 million households across the UK are unable to heat their homes because of soaring energy prices, a number far above official Government estimates. In the Yorkshire region, 26 per cent of all households are suffering fuel poverty leading to more than 2,300 deaths every winter.

Experts have said the startling increase in fuel poverty – defined as the need to spend more than 10 per cent of household income on fuel to maintain adequate warmth – shows the situation is now at breaking point, amid predictions that bills will continue to rise by as much as 25 per cent by 2020.

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A conference is taking place in Harrogate today, organised by the charity National Energy Action (NEA), bringing together key decision makers from the energy industry, the Government and the voluntary sector to treat the issue as an urgent priority.

The chief executive of the NEA, Jenny Saunders, said: “In terms of fuel poverty, this is the biggest crisis in decades.

“For a lot of years, up to 2004 in fact, it was falling.

“The levels of fuel poverty are now the same as they were in 1996 – we are almost back to square one. But we have done a lot of work in that time, otherwise the situation would be an awful lot worse. It is a major problem.

“We have an ageing population, people are going to be living a lot longer, savings are dwindling and quite often are being used to pay for care.

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“But it is not just a problem that affects older people, it is families and young children and those who are unemployed. More people are undoubtedly going to slip through that net.

“The message for public leaders is they need to help people now who this winter will go cold. This is something that presents a business opportunity as much as a social problem.

“We are hoping these figures will focus people’s minds to the scale of it.”

Households across rural areas of Yorkshire are bearing the brunt of the problem, latest figures showing 27 per cent of homes in Ryedale, 24 per cent in Richmondshire, 23 per cent in Craven and 22 per cent in Hambleton are officially classed as being in fuel poverty.

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Many of these homes are off the national gas network and need to rely on oil or liquid propane gas for heating, which can cost twice as much.

Single occupancy households, often pensioners who have lost their partner but are continuing to live in the marital home, are particularly badly affected.

To address the problem, the coalition Government, which has set a target of eradicating fuel poverty by 2016, has announced its Warm Homes Discount, offering rebates to low income pensioner households.

But the NEA claims the major cuts in funding following from the Comprehensive Spending Review and the decision not to retain the higher rate of winter fuel payment, “completely undermines” this policy.

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A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokeswoman said: “We know rising energy prices are hitting households hard which is why we are requiring the big six energy companies to provide discounts of at least £120 off energy bills this winter to about 600,000 of the poorest pensioners through the Warm Home Discount scheme. We’re also pushing for stronger competition to keep price rises as low as possible.”

Villagers turn to sun: Page 7; Comment: Page 12.