Alan Whitehead

Labour Party | Southampton Test

100,000 MORE HOUSEHOLDS TO BE HELPED IN BATTLE AGAINST FUEL POVERTY

Dr Alan Whitehead, Member of Parliament for Southampton Test has welcomed today’s announcement that 100,000 households could be lifted out of fuel poverty, following an agreement between Britain’s big six energy companies and the government to more than treble the money spent on social programmes to help the poorest heat their homes.

This is the culmination of many months of campaigning in Westminster by Dr Whitehead for greater action on fuel poverty. Last month he urged Gordon Brown, at Prime Minister’s Question Time to ensure energy companies spent more on social programmes, and received a guarantee from Gordon Brown that the government will do its best for people suffering, or at risk, from fuel poverty.

In this year’s Budget the government confirmed the creation of an action plan, together with the energy companies and Ofgem to achieve a fair programme of assistance for vulnerable households, with the aim of increasing the current level of spend from £56 million a year to a £150 million a year. Through one-to-one discussions with the energy companies an increase to the collective total of at least £150m a year has been agreed, and will be reached in 3 stages, making the total extra spend over the next three years £225m:
o £100m 2008-9
o £125m 2009-10
o £150m 2010-11
Ministers have pledged to continue to work with suppliers and Ofgem on implementing this agreement.

Dr Whitehead said:

“I have long been calling for the energy companies to step up to their responsibilities and do more to ensure that no-one is left in the situation of not being able to afford to heat their homes. The current estimate is that about 40,000 more people will fall into fuel poverty for each 1% increase in the price of fuel. Today’s announcement is a very big step in the right direction by the energy companies, and I look forward to further action on other causes of fuel poverty, such as pre-payment meters, and energy efficiency.”