Bristol West MP Pledges to Vote to End Fuel Poverty

9.08.00am GMT Wed 18th Mar 2009

Bristol West MP Stephen Williams has promised to end the misery of fuel poverty by voting in favour of a new law to help the most vulnerable people keep their homes warm - and has taken part in a 'sit-in protest' outside Parliament to show his commitment.

Stephen Williams made the pledge at Westminster alongside pensioner Margaret Joseph in a mocked-up living room as part of a push by Friends of the Earth, Help the Aged and a host of other charities to support the Fuel Poverty Bill.

If passed, the Bill will:

Oblige the Government to ensure that the homes of those living in fuel poverty are brought up to a high standard of energy efficiency, using super insulation and renewable energy technologies;

Introduce a mandatory 'social tariff' scheme where people who struggle to heat their home get help to ensure they pay the lowest energy prices until their house is brought up to a high standard of energy efficiency.

Taken together, the measures in the Bill could reduce households' energy use by up to 70 per cent and ensure that those struggling to pay their fuel bills pay the lowest energy prices. Around four million households that struggle to keep warm will be brought up to a high standard of heat and energy efficiency by 2016 - making their homes 'fuel poverty-proof'.

The Bill has its second reading on Friday 20th of March.

Stephen Williams said:

"I'm shocked that so many of the most vulnerable people in our society lose their lives every year because their homes leak heat - that's why I'm voting for the Fuel Poverty Bill to end this misery now.

Keeping people warm will help all of us by reducing climate-changing emissions from housing, saving money on fuel bills and creating new green businesses.

Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said:

"Fuel poverty is a national scandal that leads to misery and even death for millions of people in the UK each year.

"Rather than paying good money to heat up the air outside their homes, we want to see a new law backing measures to ensure all homes keep people warm and that the poorest aren't hit by extortionate energy bills.

"Tackling fuel poverty will also cut carbon emissions from our homes - responsible for a quarter of the UK's climate-changing emissions. If passed, the Fuel Poverty Bill will create thousands of new jobs."

"We're delighted that Stephen Williams MP has pledged to vote to ensure a strong Fuel Poverty Bill and end the suffering of vulnerable people in Stephen Williams and elsewhere."

Mervyn Kohler, Special Adviser to Help the Aged, Says: "Fuel poverty and climate change are pivotal issues for our time and they are intrinsically linked. Voting for the Fuel Poverty Bill is an important step towards addressing the struggle faced by the millions older people who on any given day may need to choose whether to heat their homes or eat a hot meal.

"It is high time Parliament got to grips with what can be a life and death problem for so many older people and it's great Stephen Williams has given his support to the Bill. There are hard choices that need to be made in order to protect vulnerable people from a situation where a warm home is simply out of reach."

Notes to Editors:

1. The Fuel Poverty Bill, a Private Member's Bill introduced by David Heath MP, is backed by Friends of the Earth, Help the Aged, Consumer Focus, the Association for the Conservation of Energy, Age Concern, the Child Poverty Action Group, Disability Alliance, The National Right to Fuel Campaign and the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

2. Consumer Focus estimate that if the Fuel Poverty Bill is passed it could generate 35 000 new jobs and save a households a collective total of £1.6 billion a year on fuel bills.