4,500 homes in Croydon are 'fuel poor' - Hughes (Croydon Liberal Democrats)

Croydon Liberal Democrats <yourviews@croydonlibdems.org.uk>

4,500 homes in Croydon are 'fuel poor' - Hughes

February 6, 2004 12:00 AM

4,500 homes in Croydon are 'fuel poor'

Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes MP has urged Londoners to check on elderly and vulnerable neighbours during the predicted cold snap as he revealed new figures that show there are 148,000 homes in London that are 'fuel poor'.

Following the first snowfall of 2004 hitting London, the figures revealed in a Parliamentary Answer to Mr Hughes show that around 4,484 homes in every London Borough, including Croydon, spend more than 10% of their income on fuel and are classed as 'fuel poor', despite the capital being in the warmest and wealthiest area of the UK.

Simon Hughes MP said:-

"Community spirit could save lives over the coming days. With this arctic spell of weather hitting the Capital I urge people to pop round to their neighbours to make sure that they are keeping warm.

"Thousands of the most vulnerable in our society have been ignored, overlooked and are set to either freeze in this cold snap or go into debt to keep their homes warm.

"The poor are being taxed for being poor. As Mayor I would put pressure on the EU Commission to reduce VAT from 17% to 5% for all those people who insulate their homes themselves. This would bring it into line with the VAT paid by those people who can afford tradesmen to do the work."

Liberal Democrat London Assembly Spokesman for Croydon & Sutton, Steven Gauge said:-

"Energy insulation is key to helping fuel-poor households save money and have a better quality of life."