4 December 2006
A recent survey carried out by the National Energy Association (NEA) has found that one in ten pensioners cannot afford to heat their homes this year, putting them at risk from serious health and debt problems.
Pensioners are struggling to pay for their heating because many are now suffering from 'fuel poverty' where the cost of paying for their heating is over 10% of their household income.
According to the NEA, this has been caused by the 90% price increase for gas and a 60% rise for electricity since 2003.
The charity is now campaigning for the government to provide funding to deliver additional and better-targeted energy efficiency programmes and to start taking steps to curb rising energy prices.
William Gillis, the chief executive officer of the NEA, said: "For almost 1.5 million pensioner households in England, winter brings poor health, isolation, debt and worry.
"We have one of the worst excess winter death rates in northern Europe and fuel poverty and poorly insulated homes are major contributors to these deaths.
"The government needs to seriously examine the long-term impact of rising energy prices on its ability to meet the legally binding target of ending fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households by 2010," Mr Gillis added.
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