Fuel poverty fears
Published on 14 May 2013 11:00 AM
Commenting on newspaper reports today that Centrica has announced a £602 million profit after the winter's prolonged cold snap, Age Cymru's Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Graeme Francis says:
"Nobody should have to worry about keeping warm in the winter, but rising fuel prices contribute to fuel poverty - this is where a household spends 10% or more of its income on heating.
"Fuel poverty affects an estimated 30% of households in Wales - that's 386,000 households, and it is also a contributory factor in the 1,500 deaths among older people that happen on average every winter in Wales.
"Action is needed by the Welsh and Westminster Governments to tackle fuel poverty and the causes of fuel poverty, so that none of us have to worry about turning up the thermostat during the cold winter months."