Labour Should Be Ashamed About The Rise In Fuel Poverty

Labour should be ashamed of their record on fuel poverty. A The Northern Echo reported today, the number of North Eastern households suffering from fuel poverty has increased from 73,100 to 177,021. In Chester-le-Street alone it has more than doubled in three years – from 1,500 to 3,360. In Derwentside, fuel poverty showed a shocking increase from 2,500 to 6,783. According to the Fuel Poverty Action Group, these figures understate the scale of the problem – with up to 5.5 million households nationwide suffering from fuel poverty.

When I was brought up in Consett, I was told that this was the kind of thing that a Labour Government would not allow to happen. But a Labour Government has allowed it to happen and it is a disgrace.

As Age Concern have said, “the human cost of fuel poverty is great, particularly among vulnerable older people.” Age Concern have called on the Government to “en the misery” over fuel poverty. They are quite right that urgent action needs to be taken about this distressing problem. Once again, the Government has not done nearly enough to help the most vulnerable in society.

That is why I am calling for a series of reforms to directly tackle the human tragedy of fuel poverty. I would like to see:

- Tough measures on the energy companies, including rules to ensure that energy and utility companies give customers a fair deal and, in particular, make it illegal for these companies to charge price premiums on repayment meters. Energy companies must make it clear to all customers what the cheapest available tariff is;
- Energy companies being forced to offer preferential tariffs and affordable payment plans to vulnerable households;
- Real action to refit the houses of people suffering from fuel poverty. Every home that requires should be refitted in an energy efficient way, to be repaid through fuel bills over a 25 year period. This would result in immediate reductions in the cost of energy;
- People without a bank account enabled to pay energy bills using direct debit style payments through their Post Office, cutting energy bills for millions of people without bank accounts in fuel poverty.

We need to ensure that this action is taken urgently – before so many households in our area suffer the devastation of a winter with limited access to heat. I’m sick and tired of this Government not standing up for or helping the people who need their help the most. Now is the time for action – not rhetoric. We must consign fuel poverty to history.