'More to be done to eradicate fuel poverty'
Published On 24 May 2007
The government needs to make more effort to ensure disadvantaged people have access to affordable utilities, a leading charity has warned.Yesterday (May 23rd), the government's white paper on energy focused on how nuclear and renewable energy sources could be used in the future to meet the UK's utility demands.
However, Help the Aged said that more action needs to be taken to lift people out of 'fuel poverty' by supplying utilities at reduced rates to groups such as the elderly.
"Fuel poverty is not just a statistical term - it substantially and tangibly blights people's lives," explained a spokesperson for the charity, Mervyn Kohler.
"It leads to discomfort and misery for many, ill-health for quite a number, and death for some.
"Ministers have conceded that it is a national disgrace, but have so far failed to respond to the growth of fuel poverty as a result of fuel price increases."
Earlier this month, the utilities watchdog, energywatch, said that the poorest three million households in the UK should be offered 'social tariffs' for their utilities to eradicate fuel poverty.
