Lib Dems warn of fuel poverty for 80% of single pensioners (South Suffolk Liberal Democrats)

South Suffolk Liberal Democrats <southsuffolklibdems@googlemail.com>

Lib Dems warn of fuel poverty for 80% of single pensioners

November 3, 2008 10:00 PM

Nigel Bennett, the Liberal Democrats, South Suffolk Parliamentary Campaigner asks Suffolk Councils to remember these groups and demands action to reduce fuel poverty as figures uncovered by the LibDems show that 80% of single pensioners are likely to be living in fuel poverty this winter.

The figures were prepared by the Office of National Statistics following a request by Lib Dem shadow Energy and Climate Change secretary, Steve Webb MP.

"The soaring cost of keeping warm this winter is going to cause misery for millions of pensioners. These figures show that the vast majority of pensioners living on their own are going to be living in fuel poverty this winter. This is nothing short of a scandal." said Steve Webb MP.

"The Government must act quickly to get prices down for vulnerable customers and the Government and local councils must greatly accelerate the pace of getting homes insulated." said Nigel Bennett

"While the Conservatives and Labour assume that voters do not care about green issues in a recession, Liberal Democrats understand that there is no better time to capture the public's imagination."

"With almost 30% of the UK's carbon emissions coming from housing, our homes need to be much more energy efficient to help the environment and keep down fuel bills at a time when household budgets are under so much pressure." said Nigel Bennett.

Local Councils can improve the energy efficiency of their own housing stock as well as promote better energy efficiency to reduce fuel poverty and climate change.