Fuel poverty leaves thousands in the cold

5:30am Tuesday 29th May 2007

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Tens of thousands of Sussex residents are being forced to choose between living in debt and not heating their homes.

New statistics commissioned by the Government reveal that 36,720 county households are living in fuel poverty.

Spiralling energy prices, in excess of inflation, have lead to those households spending more than 10 per cent of their income on heating their homes.

The problem is at its worst in East Sussex. In the Eastbourne, Wealden and Rother districts more than 5.7 per cent of the population are living in fuel poverty, above the national average. The rate in Hastings is the highest in Sussex at 6.6 per cent, accounting for 2,487 households.

Brighton and Hove has the most severe problem with 6,467 families affected, a rate of 5.6 per cent.

Tony Greenstein, from the Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre, said: "This is a huge problem and it is making people's lives a misery. Fuel prices have risen astronomically since privatisation and people just cannot afford it."

Mr Greenstein said people were finding themselves in continuous debt because they were stretching themselves too far try to meet the cost of heating.

East Sussex's disproportionately large elderly population has pushed up the total afflicted by fuel poverty in the county.

In the last four years the number of people affected nationally has more than doubled - up from 1.2 million in 2003 to 2.5 million now.

Help The Aged said older members of society were particularly at risk.

Spokesman Marvyn Kohler said: "Fuel poverty at best causes people misery and discomfort. Worse than that it can increase the risk of illness and lead to people being taken to hospital unnecessarily and add to the problems with the NHS. At worst it can cause death.

"We are seriously worried at the way fuel poverty figures have grown."

Nick Ellwood, the chairman of Hailsham Town Council, said he had been to the home of an elderly woman after hearing she might be struggling and found her shivering, wrapped in blankets in a freezing home with the heating switched off.

Coun Ellwood said: "There is a real problem with fuel poverty in this area. Parts of Hailsham are among the most deprived in the county and it affects people.

"I think a lot of the problem is that people are too proud to ask for help. Most of the people affected are elderly and trying to survive on their pensions. They are from a generation where you don't ask for help, you make do with what you've got.

"They often don't realise that the utilities companies have a duty to help them. The government needs to do more to raise awareness."

Mr Ellwood said the town council would be sending out advice to residents in a newsletter.

Mr Greenstein said the only way to reverse the problem would be to renationalise the energy industry.

He said: "Prices have gone up to satisfy the share-holders of the multi-national energy firms. The Government offers fuel allowances to pensioners but they are not nearly enough. They are a notional amount."

The new statistics were compiled by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and the University of Bristol, with the intention of highlighting which areas of the South East require the most support.

HOW MANY LIVE IN FUEL POVERTY?

1. Hastings - 6.6 per cent (2,487 households) 2. Rother - 5.9 (2,266) 3. Eastbourne - 5.9 (2,425) 4. Wealden - 5.7 (3,343) 5. Chichester - 5.7 (2,620) 6. Brighton and Hove - 5.6 (6,467) 7. Worthing - 5.6 (2,459) 8. Lewes - 5.6 (2,212) 9. Arun - 5.5 (3,470) 10. Adur - 5.4 (1,398) 11. Horsham - 5.4 (2,679) 12. Mid Sussex - 5.3 (2,764) 13. Crawley - 5.3 (2,130)