BACKING GREENER, WARMER HOUSING (Fiona Hall MEP)

Fiona Hall MEP <info@fionahall.org.uk>

BACKING GREENER, WARMER HOUSING

March 5, 2007 12:00 AM

Fiona Hall supported Liberal Democrat plans for greener warmer housing at the party's spring conference in Harrogate yesterday.

The Liberal Democrats plans would:

· Help lift pensioners and disabled people out of fuel poverty;

· Cut the number of excess winter deaths in the North East;

· Make it easier for families to insulate their homes and cut fuel bills;

· Aim to more than halve the amount of polluting carbon emissions produced by homes in the North East.

A recent government study found 103,000 households living in fuel poverty in the North East, 9.5% of all households in the region. Government statisticians have calculated that, across the North East, there were 1100 excess winter deaths, of whom 900 were pensioners.

The Lib Dem plans would see fuel bills for local people fall dramatically and carbon emissions from homes cut by over half by 2050.

Fiona Hall criticised the Government for failing to implement the European Buildings Directive and for preventing local councils from setting higher energy efficiency standards.

The Lib Dem European energy spokesperson said:

"Improving energy efficiency in buildings is the most cost-effective way of cutting CO2 emissions.

"What's more, it requires no new technology - we know how to do it -and it has the massive social benefit of cutting fuel poverty and excess winter deaths."

Speaking after the debate the Member of European Parliament explained:

"Many people in the region can't afford to heat their homes properly. 1100 people in the North East died last winter that shouldn't have. It's disgraceful that pensioners can't afford to heat their homes.

"I want to see help targeted to enable older people and those with disabilities to increase the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their fuel bills.

"Standardised packages including a range of insulation, draught-proofing and window, heating and light replacement would help improve the energy efficiency of all homes in the North East.

"It should be simple maths: less energy wasted equals lower fuel bills, fewer excess winter deaths, less pollution and a greener North East."

Excess winter deaths figures are from Office of National Statistics website. Excess winter deaths are defined by the ONS as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July). Figures are described as provisional, rounded to the nearest 100.

Fuel poverty figures are from Detailed Breakdowns of Fuel Poverty in England in 2004 (version 1, April 2006) obtained from DTI website - see 11th page of document (labelled as page 8).