Campaign to end the cold home crisis in Britain

By Anonymous
March 13, 2014

Uswitch.com has reported (05/02/14) on a campaign led by the Energy Bill Revolution during UK's Cold Homes Week 2014. The Energy Bill Revolution alliance are leading the action by asking tens of thousands of people to email their local MPs, demanding an end to cold homes in Britain.

The alliance, which includes members such as Age-UK and Barnardos, has called on the Government to use carbon tax to make UK homes more energy efficient.  Much of Britain's housing stock, which includes some of the worst insulated homes in Europe, need home insulation installed in order to stop the cold home crisis.

Britain has one of Europe's worst rate of fuel poverty, second only to Estonia out of 27 countries in Europe.  Last winter there were 31,000 deaths, many which could have been prevented if people's homes had sufficient insulation.

Energy Bill Revolution has revealed that fuel poverty also affects 2 million children in England.  In the UK, one of the richest nations in the world, there are more and more families forced to make the difficult choice between eating or staying warm.

Over 100 leading UK charities and businesses behind the fuel poverty campaign, are asking that the UK prioritise home energy efficiency and make it a number one infrastructure investment.  If homes have insulation, many people would be saved from dying in the cold.

Carbon tax could be used to provide home insulation to nine out of ten homes living in fuel poverty.  In time, it is hoped that there would be funds to provide financial support to help reduce energy bills.

Economists have said that a big energy efficiency programme for UK homes could lead to high growth levels and create 100,000 jobs in Britain.  Other benefits include a cut to carbon emissions, the average household saving around £300 a year and increased energy securing by reducing the need to import gas.