The Government has no idea how many people in Stockton North will be affected by changes to the Warm Front Scheme, according to the answer to a Parliamentary Question local MP Alex Cunningham tabled in March.
The Warm Front Scheme has helped more than 2.2 million households make their homes more energy efficient since 2000, providing grants for loft insulation and draught proofing, as well as other measures.
Now the Tory-led Government has decided to cut the scheme over the next two years meaning that fewer households in Stockton North will be able to benefit from the scheme. Disappointingly, the Government seems to have no idea how many people in Stockton North will lose out.
The National Energy Association estimates that in 2010, more than 5.4 million UK households were considered to be in fuel poverty, which means they spent more than 10% of their income on heating their home. The number of households living in fuel poverty has more than doubled since 2004. Alex said:
“We have all seen our gas and electricity bills rise in recent months. Now is the time to support households to make their homes more energy efficient in the fight to tackle fuel poverty. Instead the Government is slashing funding for the Warm Front Scheme with no idea how local people in Stockton North will be affected.”
“Figures show that in 2008 more than 20% of households in the North East were living in fuel poverty, compared to less than 10% in the South East. The Government may not be able to tell us how many households in Stockton North will lose out thanks to changes to the Warm Front scheme, but it is clear that many households in the North East will be hit hard by the changes.”
