Groups call for greater action on fuel poverty

A coalition of civil society groups have called for greater action on fuel poverty and to cut fossil fuels in upcoming Energy Independence Plan.

As many as 37 organisations spanning fuel poverty, social justice and environmental campaigns have written to the government calling for greater support for vulnerable households and for decarbonisation to help bolster the UK’s energy security in the imminent Energy Independence Plan and Spring Statement.

The joint letter calls for immediate extra support for households facing huge energy price rises, scaled up measures to reduce our gas use and a shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Amongst the measures called for are targeted support that covers the expected rise in energy bills for households on low incomes, long term funding and support for insulation and heat pumps and an expansion of wind and solar energy.

Rebecca Newsom, head of Politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “This is a fossil fuel crisis, and new fossil fuels from the likes of fracking or new North Sea oil and gas aren’t going to solve our problems. We can reach true energy freedom and stand up to Putin, but that needs the government to back properly funded measures to support households, accelerate renewables and properly fund home upgrades to reduce our use of gas altogether. Otherwise this risks being yet another plan that props up our dependence on volatile and expensive fossil fuels at just the moment we can least afford it.”