Warm Homes Campaign
Every winter, thousands of people die in the UK simply
because they cannot afford to heat their homes adequately.
Today sees the fuel poverty charity,
National Energy Action ~ NEA launch its annual Warm Homes Campaign, raising awareness about the plight of these 'fuel poor' households, educating people about energy efficiency and highlighting the availability of energy-saving grants for low-income households.
20% more people die in the UK winter compared to the rest of the year. That's 30,000 excess deaths or around 250 every day during the winter months. We have one of the worst excess winter death rates in Europe, nearly twice as high as in Germany and the Netherlands, both of which have colder winters.
There are now roughly 4 million UK households living in fuel poverty, which is defined as needing to spend more than 10% of household income on fuel to achieve a healthy and comfortable living environment.
Since 2003, against a backdrop of gas prices rising by roughly 90% and electricity prices by about 60%, the number of fuel poor households has more than doubled.
Background stats
Winter deaths
* It is estimated that for every 1 degree Celcius that the winter temperature drops below the average,
there will be an associated increase of 8,000 excess winter deaths.
* Over half of excess winter deaths are from cardiovascular disease and a third are from respiratory disease.
* We can predict when excess deaths will occur after a cold snap: heart attack after 2 days, strokes after 5 days and respiratory disease after 12 days.
* Excess winter death disproportionately affects the elderly and in particular those aged 75 or over.
Poverty and incomes
* There are currently 3.8m children living in poverty in the UK.
* 1.3m UK children are living in a household with an income of less than £7,000 p.a.
* Up to 3m eligible people don't claim council tax benefit.
* Around 30% of eligible pensioners don't claim Pension Credit.
* Every year benefits worth £4.2 billion are left unclaimed by pensioners.
* NEA research found that benefit entitlement checks uncover on average, an extra £29 per week per household in unclaimed benefits.
* DBERR estimates that for every 1% rise in income levels, 40,000 households are lifted out of fuel poverty.
Fuel poverty
* There are roughly 4 million UK households living in fuel poverty
* Fuel poverty is defined as the need to spend more than 10% of household income on fuel to achieve a healthy and comfortable living environment (21o C/70o F for older people).
* Fuel poverty affects mainly poor and vulnerable groups: the elderly; people with disabilities; single parent families; and the chronically sick.
* The Government is committed to ending fuel poverty in England by 2010 for vulnerable groups and for all households by 2016.
Energy prices
* The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) estimates that for every 1% rise in energy prices, an extra 40,000 households become fuel poor.
* Between 2003 and 2007, gas prices rose by roughly 90% and electricity prices by about 60%.
* Despite recent modest reductions in fuel prices the average annual household bill for gas and electricity is still around £1,000.
Cold homes and health
* Treatment of respiratory illness such as asthma and bronchitis imposes an enormous burden on health service resources every winter.
* A drop in body temperature causes the blood to thicken making circulation more difficult and contributing to heart disease and strokes.
* Temperatures below 16o C (61o F) can lower the body's resistance to respiratory infections.
* Arthritis symptoms, particularly pain, are worse for sufferers who live in cold, damp homes.
* Cold affects cerebral function and manual dexterity increasing the likelihood of falls and accidents in the home.
* Temperatures lower than 12o C (54o F) cause blood pressure to rise in the elderly, increasing the risk of heart attack.
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