[UK] Act now to end fuel poverty's deadly threat

From IC North Wales

By Tom Bodden, Daily Post


PLAID Cymru yesterday demanded Assembly action to tackle fuel poverty which last year claimed the lives of 1,500 elderly people in Wales.

And it could take 20 years to roll out a £10m home energy efficiency programme to all Welsh pensioners, North Wales Plaid AM Janet Ryder claimed.

But up to £10m in fuel benefits were going unclaimed, she added.

Mrs Ryder added two-thirds of people living in fuel poverty lived outside the most deprived areas targeted for the grant aid. The Citizens Advice Bureau estimated those spending more than 10% of income on energy were facing fuel poverty.

"It is anticipated to be a much colder winter than average this year," Mrs Ryder said. "Gas prices are also expected to soar, which will throw more people into fuel poverty."

The Welsh Assembly government set aside extra cash to remove meanstesting for the over-80s who get back the total cost of installing energy savings measures.

Those aged 60-80 get 50% of costs while pensioners leaving hospital receive a "fuel poverty check" on their homes to ensure they are warm and secure.

Mrs Ryder said: "The home energy efficiency scheme is showing some success but it only deals with easy issues like installing insulation in cold homes. To roll out the programme as it currently stands would take 20 years to cover Wales.

"There are people who need money to allow them to pay for fuel costs to heat their homes." Plaid has tabled a debate for when the Assembly returns next week deploring the deaths of at least 1,500 from cold weather-related illnesses in Wales during the relatively mild winter of 2004-5.

It called for new statistics on the extent of fuel poverty and to identify those at risk. A review of the fuel poverty strategy should include a flexible home energy efficiency scheme to target those most at risk of fuel poverty.

It also insisted the UK government should hand the Assembly powers to ensure all new homes in Wales are energy efficient and to consider extending winter fuel payments to other vulnerable groups.

Mrs Ryder said a campaign should be launched to encourage those struggling with heating bills to take up benefits available to them, with an estimated £5m-£10m unclaimed in some areas.

"The government is targeting older people but tackling the easy end of the problem by insulating houses and making sure they are warmer.

"We need to address the issue of fuel poverty which is starting to hit young families in rural areas," she said..