Fuel poverty must end - Burstow

8.35.00am GMT Mon 19th Jan 2009

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, is sponsoring a Private Member's Bill to end fuel poverty. The Bill will be introduced by David Heath MP who won second place in the annual ballot for Private Member's Bill. The Bill has a good chance of becoming law.

It will aim to help the thousands of people who are struggling with the cost of energy in the current economic crisis and has the backing of a wide range of organisations concerned with the elderly, poverty and the environment.

These include Age Concern, the Association for the Conservation of Energy, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, the Child Poverty Action Group, Consumer Focus, Disability Alliance, Friends of the Earth, Help the Aged and the National Right to Fuel Campaign.

The Bill will bring in two measures:

• A major energy efficiency programme to 'fuel poverty proof' existing homes by bringing them up to the current energy efficiency levels enjoyed by modern homes

• Social tariffs to limit vulnerable households' exposure to high energy bills

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg hosted a fuel poverty summit with energy companies, charities and consumer groups last week to discuss these issues Mr Burstow is planning a local summit on the issue.

Mr Burstow said:

'I am pleased to be able to back David's bill because it is a disgrace that in 21st century Britain there are five million household who are having to choose between food and fuel this winter.

'Studies have shown it is much more efficient to improve housing standards than it is to just subsidise fuel costs. The Warm Homes Act of 2000 committed the Government to a timetable for eliminating fuel poverty, but one year away from the deadline it's clear that the target will be missed by a long way. Therefore this bill is urgently needed and needs to succeed.'