The True Cost of Energy Waste - 150 Stockport families lost a loved one last winter

Published in Stockport Express on Wed 2nd Dec 2009

A shocking 37,000 people died in England last winter because of high fuel costs and poorly heated homes. Despite a mild winter there were more deaths than for 10 years.

Behind that grim statistic lie 37,000 grieving families who lost a loved one, simply because our homes are so poorly insulated, and our energy prices are sky-high. That includes 150 families in Stockport. It is a shame and a disgrace on our country - the only one in Europe to have such 'excess' deaths - and the failure to stop them is a scandal.

Too many people faced with rising heating bills and draughty homes are forced to make a bitter choice - 'do I heat or do I eat?' Whichever they choose, their health suffers. More easily hit by flu and bugs, too many fall victim to bronchitis, pneumonia, and heart disease.

It not only costs lives, it puts the NHS and other services under huge stress. Of course it is completely unnecessary.

The country has the worst and most energy-wasting homes in Europe. If they were as well insulated as homes in Sweden our fuel bills would be cut in half.

Five years ago I put on the Statute Book an Act of Parliament giving the Government the powers it needs to end fuel poverty, and make sure we all can have warm homes, save money on our bills, cut damaging carbon emissions, and end 'excess winter deaths' once and for all.

But the Labour Government has refused to bring the Act into force, incredibly relying on voluntary action and an inadequate grant scheme.

Now we face another winter of wasted lives, family grief, and higher NHS costs. All because they simply won't use commonsense and some joined-up thinking.

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