Tom Brake MP backs Fuel Poverty Bill

10.08.01am GMT Thu 19th Mar 2009

Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake has pledged to be in Parliament on March 20th to give his support to a new parliamentary bill aimed at ending fuel poverty and that could save the lives of up to 20,000 pensioners a year.

The Fuel Poverty Bill being proposed by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath would deliver a massive home insulation programme which would halve the energy needed to heat the average home. And it would end the scandal of those who use pre-pay meters - generally the least well off - paying higher rates for their gas and electricity.

Tom Brake said:

'This winter, millions of people across Britain are struggling to afford to heat their homes, including four out of five single pensioners. Twenty thousand pensioners are dying a year because the Government refuses to tackle fuel poverty. It is horrific that in this day and age so many people are having to make the difficult choice between heating and eating.'

The Bill has the enthusiastic support of organisations that represent the vulnerable, from Age Concern to Disability Alliance to the Child Poverty Action Group. And because it would also cut harmful carbon emissions, it also has the strong backing of environmental campaigners like Friends of the Earth.