Winter blues - How energy companies are making a killing
Freedom Press | 30.12.2011 11:32 | Energy Crisis | Other Press
Despite an uncharacteristic mild autumn, winter brings with it the necessity of increasing gas and electricity consumption to keep warm during periods of lowering temperatures. Typically many people cannot afford to do so.
The number of those in fuel poverty, those dying unnecessarily because of the cold, especially the elderly, and those suffering from seasonal disorders escalates each year, highlighting the lack of concern and provision by government and the energy business towards people, particularly those on low incomes, to ensure their survival during this period.
Fuel poverty in this country is defined by households who spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in ‘satisfactory’ condition. According to the most recent figures four million homes in England were classified as being in fuel poverty.
Along with those alarming statistics is a recent report that estimates almost 3,000 will die this winter as a direct result of fuel poverty – more than the number killed in traffic accidents each year. The Hills Fuel Poverty Review, commissioned by the government, base their findings on figures from the Office for National Statistics that states there are 27,000 extra deaths on average in the UK each winter compared to other times of year, most due to the cold weather. A death rate that is one of the highest in Europe, worse than Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.
The Hills Review concluded that living in cold homes has a series of effects on illness and mental health, but the most serious is its contribution to Britain’s unusually high rates of “excess winter deaths”.
In contrast the big six energy companies British Gas, EDF, Eon, Npower, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern, who have a monopoly on supplying domestic properties, continue to make massive profits from ordinary customers. According to the energy regulators Ofgem, profits per customer rose an astonishing 733% over the past six months rising from £15 in June to £125 in October. On top of this the average electricity tariff is set to increase by £300 a year to £800, with gas prices rising from £845 to more than £1,300.
To put that into some perspective it is estimated that for every one per cent rise in energy prices, an extra 40,000 people will be thrown into fuel poverty.
Adding to this catalogue of economic greed is the coalition government’s plan to exclude social landlords from the fuel poverty element of the energy company obligation (ECO) subsidy. Social tenants, including some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society, are at risk of not benefiting from this badly needed funding and falling further into fuel poverty – despite paying for the subsidy through their energy bills. Another stark example of big business colluding with wealthy government ministers to stitch-up ordinary people.
http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/2011/12/29/winter-blues/
Fuel poverty in this country is defined by households who spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in ‘satisfactory’ condition. According to the most recent figures four million homes in England were classified as being in fuel poverty.
Along with those alarming statistics is a recent report that estimates almost 3,000 will die this winter as a direct result of fuel poverty – more than the number killed in traffic accidents each year. The Hills Fuel Poverty Review, commissioned by the government, base their findings on figures from the Office for National Statistics that states there are 27,000 extra deaths on average in the UK each winter compared to other times of year, most due to the cold weather. A death rate that is one of the highest in Europe, worse than Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.
The Hills Review concluded that living in cold homes has a series of effects on illness and mental health, but the most serious is its contribution to Britain’s unusually high rates of “excess winter deaths”.
In contrast the big six energy companies British Gas, EDF, Eon, Npower, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern, who have a monopoly on supplying domestic properties, continue to make massive profits from ordinary customers. According to the energy regulators Ofgem, profits per customer rose an astonishing 733% over the past six months rising from £15 in June to £125 in October. On top of this the average electricity tariff is set to increase by £300 a year to £800, with gas prices rising from £845 to more than £1,300.
To put that into some perspective it is estimated that for every one per cent rise in energy prices, an extra 40,000 people will be thrown into fuel poverty.
Adding to this catalogue of economic greed is the coalition government’s plan to exclude social landlords from the fuel poverty element of the energy company obligation (ECO) subsidy. Social tenants, including some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society, are at risk of not benefiting from this badly needed funding and falling further into fuel poverty – despite paying for the subsidy through their energy bills. Another stark example of big business colluding with wealthy government ministers to stitch-up ordinary people.
http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/2011/12/29/winter-blues/
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