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Gordon Lishman‚ Director General of Age Concern‚ said:
"Pensioners up and down the country will be devastated if extra help for those struggling to afford their bills is rejected. This would usher in a winter of discontent for the one in three pensioners likely to be in fuel poverty.

“Energy efficiency measures would help to reduce bills in the long-term. However‚ they must be introduced alongside pricing reforms to ensure the poorest households get the lowest energy rates.

"As living costs continue to soar‚ emergency measures are desperately needed to help the most vulnerable households. If these are not forthcoming next week‚ the Government must urgently consider how it is going to help pensioners get through the winter and re-think its strategy for tackling fuel poverty in the long term.”

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Notes to Editors

Age Concern’s key calls

• The Government’s fuel poverty strategy should be urgently revised‚ with new policies and measures announced as soon as possible.
• As an urgent‚ short-term measure‚ energy companies should use the extra £50 million they have pledged to social assistance schemes this year to redeem fuel vouchers for pensioners over 70 who are entitled to Pension Credit.
• Mandatory social tariffs for vulnerable households‚ which offer the lowest market rate‚ must be made compulsory.
• A commitment to recycle the £400 million in extra VAT revenue the Government is receiving from fuel price increases to fund measures to help those in fuel poverty.
• The Warm Front programme should be urgently reviewed‚ with funding immediately increased by at least 25% and the maximum grant available under the scheme increased significantly.
  The Winter Fuel Payment should be permanently increased to reflect unprecedented energy price increases in recent years.
• The Government should use statutory powers to abolish unfair pre-payment meter premiums.

Facts File

• Older people are more likely than any other age group to be affected by fuel poverty and have been hit particularly hard by recent rocketing energy prices.
• Age Concern estimates that more than 1 in 3 pensioner households are likely to be in fuel poverty by the end of the year
• The number of pensioner households in fuel poverty has more than doubled since 2004. Age Concern estimates since the latest round of price hikes there are now around 2.5 million older households in fuel poverty in the UK.
• When it was first introduced the £200 Winter Fuel Payment covered over a third of the average fuel bill – it now covers less than a fifth.

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