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Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Answer

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress is being made to combat fuel poverty among pensioners. [156574] Mr. Meacher: On 23 February 2001, the Government published its Fuel Poverty Strategy for consultation. The Strategy sets out our commitment to end the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households--which includes pensioners on low incomes--by 2010. The Government have already taken action to tackle the main causes of fuel poverty--low income and poor energy efficiency--to help those suffering from fuel poverty. The Winter Fuel Payment, which has been increased to £200 for this winter, will help many older households in, or at risk from, fuel poverty. For the poorest pensioners we have introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee, which is already helping 1.6 million pensioner households. We have also reduced the level of VAT on fuel and on the installation of energy saving materials, so that people can more easily afford to keep warm. Further reductions in energy bills have resulted from the reform of the energy market. But the permanent solution is to provide better insulation and heating. We have made available substantial additional capital funds for housing investment by local authorities. We have also launched our radical new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). The scheme now provides grants for packages of heating and insulation improvement measures, including high efficiency central heating systems for low-income households aged 60 years or more. With a budget of over £600 million, HEES is expected to have reached some 800,000 vulnerable households by 2004, 480,000 being over-60s. In addition, the Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance schemes (EESOPs) run by the energy suppliers have been doubled to some £50 million a year. Around two-thirds of this help is going to pensioner and low-income families. From 2002 the Government are proposing to increase the scale of the scheme, to around £150 million a year, continuing its focus on disadvantaged consumers. As this is a devolved matter, it is the responsibility of the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

156574; 366 c14-5W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Conservation Income support Housing Energy Households Fuel poverty Insulation Heating Warm front scheme Pensioners Low incomes Poverty Standards Tax allowances VAT Winter fuel payment

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk