Council Leader backs national campaign to tackle fuel poverty (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

Council Leader backs national campaign to tackle fuel poverty

August 26, 2008 4:17 PM

City of York Council Leader, Cllr Andrew Waller, has given his support to the Local Government Association campaign for energy companies to provide £500 million a year to be spent on a massive home insulation programme. This would reduce energy bills and fuel poverty for households, cut carbon emissions and create employment.

The £500 million would be funded by six main energy suppliers matching the existing contribution already made by householders through their energy bills to cut carbon emissions.

The scheme is designed to lift 500, 000 people out of fuel poverty, cut £200 off the energy bills of 10 million households and reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent.

Cllr Waller said, "I am very pleased to be supporting this campaign which could see councils across the country delivering a national home insulation scheme to tackle climate change and fuel poverty. Home insulation on a vast scale would significantly reduce the cost of fuel bills and tackle fuel poverty which has dreadful effects on the well-being of the elderly and vulnerable during the winter. This scheme could also see hundreds of jobs created at a time when building work is slowing down, and there are many local York companies who could benefit."

"Whilst indicators show that insulation in homes in York is better than average, it would be great if we could do a lot more with the help of energy companies. By committing the energy companies to taking responsibility for fuel poverty, this scheme has the potential to be very successful."

"The Liberal Democrats fully support the idea of energy companies supporting consumers, and as well as increasing insulation in homes, energy companies could roll out 'social tariffs' to prevent disproportionately high bills from pre-payment meters, and introduce smart meters to reduce energy consumption, in order to tackle fuel poverty."