Council targets fuel poverty (From Crewe Guardian)

Council targets fuel poverty

7:00am Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News

SHOCKING statistics show hundreds of vulnerable people die during the winter cold snap simply because they can’t afford to heat their homes properly.

It is estimated that around 28,000 are in ‘fuel poverty’, leading to around 220 deaths each year across the borough.

Cheshire East Council has received £450,000 from the Government to tackle the problem.

Clr Jamie Macrae, cabinet member in charge of prosperity and economic regeneration, said: “It is estimated that cold and damp private sector housing costs local health services in excess of £1.6m per year.

“Cold and damp homes have a hugely negative impact on people’s health and, in its most extreme form, contribute to winter deaths.

“It is appalling that in this day and age, vulnerable people are dying because they simply cannot afford to heat their homes.

“The funding will go a long, long way towards helping improve the life chances of these victims.”

The Department for Energy and Climate Change made £40m available to local authorities from three specific funds: Fuel Poverty Fund, Green Deal and Cheaper Energy Together Fund.

Cheshire East Council successfully bid for £181,400 from the Fuel Poverty Fund. The bid promises to provide insulation and heating measures to low income and vulnerable households.

A total of £197,500 was bid for from the Green Deal Pioneer Fund and £71,000 was bid from the Cheaper Energy Together Fund, which will be used to help low income and vulnerable households to drive down household energy costs.

The grants will be distributed among charities, community groups and The Fire and Rescue Service to identify households that will benefit from the funding