Fuel Poverty will hit Mayo families hard says Labour

 

Cllr Keith Martin says the news from the World Health Organisation that 17% of Irish households suffer from fuel poverty means that it could be a dangerous winter for elderly and low income families in Mayo. 

 

"In addition to the WHO report a recent survey, published by the St Vincent de Paul, found that 79% of lone parents, 78% of elderly and 81% of local authority tenants struggled to pay for energy and heating costs in their homes.

 

"This means that we are facing a heating crisis this winter among low income families.  Not only is it unacceptable in this day and age to have people living in freezing cold conditions it could be deadly in the case of the elderly who are extremely vulnerable to the cold" says Cllr Martin.

 

According to the Labour councillor "Older people are more likely to experience fuel poverty due to lower standards of housing coupled with lower incomes. Older people living alone are particularly vulnerable.

 

"The fuel allowance scheme should be paid all year around effectively doubling the existing payment which would allow recipients to stockpile solid fuels, prepay ESB and Gas heating bills for the winter and react to cold spells over the summer and autumn months."

 

"Energy costs in Ireland rose by 33% between 2002 and 2006. When the ESB announced its ambitious scheme to invest in renewable energies concerns were expressed that the cost of their €22 billion plan will be passed on to the consumer at the expense of those less well off. As the price of energy continues to increase the numbers of those living in fuel poverty is set to rise."

 

Cllr Martin says "the ESB should be allowed to retain the €123m dividend that it is due to pay to the Government this year and this should be added to the €300m the ESB is setting aside itself to ease the impact of rising energy prices. The planned roll out of smart meters where consumers can effectively monitor and control electricity usage must be sped up. This was originally promised for 2008 with little or no progress having been made so far.

 

"It is not acceptable in 21^st Century Ireland that low income families and the elderly are facing into a cold winter and possibly deadly winter due to rising fuel costs and a lack of action from government."

 

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