Contrary to what you might hear in the media, younger and older people have a lot of shared concerns – not least of which is how society should best manage its affairs so that future generations can have a better life than their parents and grandparents.
Rather than being the usual suspects, the new joint campaign by Greenpeace and the National Pensioners Convention to end fuel poverty is like a breath of fresh air. There is a recognition that two very different, but socially responsible organisations can make a difference on such an important issue. Crucially, we agree that putting an end to the blight of fuel poverty is not incompatible with the creation of an environmentally sustainable way of heating and powering our homes.
Every year we have the national scandal which sees over 20,000 older people dying from cold related illnesses. Millions more are worried about whether or not they can afford to put the heating on when winter arrives.
Meanwhile, the big six energy companies don’t think twice about raising their prices – yet already 3m pensioner households and another 1.5m families are regarded as living in fuel poverty. To make matters worse, the Chancellor has cut the winter fuel allowance to pensioners and slashed funds for home insulation schemes.
The government is obliged by law to end fuel poverty by 2016, but at the moment it stands absolutely no chance of getting anywhere near that commitment. None of this adds up as a coherent policy to protect household budgets and cut carbon
That is why we have to campaign now to force the Chancellor to act. Raising the winter fuel payments, restoring funding for energy efficiency schemes and reducing damaging carbon emissions can create jobs, tackle fuel poverty and help protect future generations from the impacts of climate change. That’s something worth fighting for.
Guest post by Dot Gibson, General Secratary of the National Pensioners Convention
