Eradicating Fuel Poverty "too important to sweep under the carpet!" - Stuart Bodsworth Stockport Liberal Democrats

3.14.54pm GMT Fri 12th Dec 2008

The Government must do more to tackle fuel poverty

Stuart Bodsworth Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesman for Stockport is calling on MPs to introduce a Fuel Poverty (Eradication) Bill to reinstate the Governments Duty to wipe out fuel poverty.

"The Government have quietly dropped their commitment to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016." Said Stuart Bodsworth. "But it is simply too important to sweep under the carpet."

According to Help the Aged 4.5 million older people are planning to live in just one room this winter to save on fuel bills.

The Fuel Poverty (Eradication) Bill, if it became law, would reinstate the duty to end fuel poverty, require the homes of the fuel poor to be brought up to the minimum energy efficiency standards enjoyed by new homes and require energy suppliers to offer reduced rate tariffs to vulnerable householders in the short term.

"I have written to all 20 MPs who were successful in the recent ballot granting them time in parliament to try to make a new law." said Stuart Bodsworth.

The campaign to bring in a new Fuel Poverty (Eradication) law to end the scandal of fuel poverty is supported by the Association for the Conservation of Energy, the Fuel Poverty Coalition and the Sustainable Energy Partnership.

Ends.