Posted 05.02.16
More than a third of older people - 4.1 million individuals over 65 - are worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter, according to new research for Age UK.
The Charity is warning that the lack of a sustainable solution to the UK's cold homes epidemic risks the health and wellbeing of tens of thousands of older people.
Age UK is calling on the Government to urgently reform its energy efficiency programme so that all older people can afford to live in a warm home.
One older person dies every 7 minutes from the cold every winter in the UK, and excess winter death rates and illness are highest among those living in the coldest homes.
Last winter alone, a staggering 40,800 older people in England and Wales died unnecessarily from cold-related conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes. Yet according to Age UK, many of these deaths would have been prevented if the UK's housing stock had been properly insulated.
The evidence shows that the UK's homes are among the most expensive to heat in Europe. In 2014, the average standard tariff fuel bill was £1,265 compared to £472 in 2004 - a rise of 168% in just ten years.
In addition, the UK has the highest level of fuel poverty among a dozen comparable EU nations, and one of the greatest proportions of homes in a poor state of repair.
Yet Government measures in response have been largely ineffective, leaving around a million older people continuing to languish in fuel poverty year on year.
Age UK believes that the Energy Company Obligation must be reformed quickly to ensure that it reaches far more people in need.
It is also calling for a new, improved scheme to replace the now defunct Green Deal, to support those who can afford to pay to invest in energy efficiency at home.
It argues that these steps will play a crucial role in eradicating fuel poverty and reducing cold-related illness and deaths among older people.
