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Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal DemocratsCampaigning for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham |
Hammersmith Pensioners in Fuel Poverty
March 12, 2009 12:00 AM
By Merlene Emerson, Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman for Hammersmith in Hammersmith and Kensington Timers
By Merlene Emerson, Liberal Democrat Spokeswoman for Hammersmith in Hammersmith and Kensington Timers
It has recently been reported that the elderly in H&F borough have 10% higher risk of dying of winter and lung cancer deaths than the national average. A recent NHS report found that older people living in poor housing were particularly at risk.
Whilst many residents were shocked by these figures, I was unfortunately not at all surprised considering rises in energy costs and the continuing neglect of social housing within the borough.
The chilling truth is that one in seven households in Hammersmith live in fuel poverty including four out of five single pensioner households.
40% of our borough's housing stock do not meet decent homes standards and the Tory Council has continued to cut services for the elderly including recent price hikes for meals on wheels.
A Fuel Poverty Bill has been introduced by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath to call for a major energy efficiency programme to insulate homes as well as tariffs to limit vulnerable households' exposure to high energy bills. I have written to Andrew Slaughter MP to ask him to back this important legislation."
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