Age UK demands action to tackle elderly fuel poverty

MPs are being encouraged to do more to reduce the energy bills of elderly Brits, in a bid to cut death rates over the winter as a result of fuel poverty.

Age UK wants more to be done to promote better preventative measures to homeowners, while calling for more effort to get energy providers to offer assistance.

Many homeowners will be seeking credit card offers to help pay for energy costs this winter, with fuel poverty common among Britain's elderly.

One of the major issues is poorly insulated homes, with Age UK calling for MPs to do more to support investment in better insulation and double glazing technology.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director, explained: "Behind the dreadful excess winter deaths figures lies deep-seated social issues with over five million households in the UK living in fuel poverty alone and one in three older people living in housing that is poorly insulted."

MPs are encouraged to sign up to the Winter Pledge, which includes commitments to simple measures such as raising awareness of the dangers of cold weather across their constituency.

The humanitarian organisation Kindness UK believes local communities also have a role to ensure elderly in their area are well looked after this Christmas.

Founder David Jamilly believes this issue is all the more pressing in the economic downturn.

"There are days when people seem to be off and having a good time, but a lot of people feel isolated at those times and don't have the opportunity to join in," he explained.

Taking action is particularly important in the run up to Christmas, when people tend to struggle financially because of the colder weather and susceptibility to fuel poverty.

He recommends getting younger people involved in activities in order to foster a better sense of community spirit in the future.

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2011-12-05 13:29:43 © Moneyextra.com