This week Emma attended an event hosted by Age UK, Barnardo’s and Energy Bill Revolution to promote their Cold Homes Week campaign, which calls attention to the scandal of fuel poverty in Britain.
Cold Homes Week began on Monday 3 February, and Wednesday brought the campaign to Parliament to drive home the importance of tackling rising energy costs and energy-inefficient homes. The parliamentary event was followed by a public meeting, No More Cold Homes – Lasting Solutions in Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, one of many such meetings taking place around the country this February and March.
Over 170 charities, businesses and unions support the campaign. Members of the public can get involved too by visiting www.energybillrevolution.org. People across the UK are taking ‘selfies in scarves’ to spread awareness about the campaign, and Emma was pleased to don her own Cold Homes Week scarf on Wednesday.
Emma also backs Labour Leader Ed Miliband’s Energy Price Freeze, which would freeze household energy bills until 2017 and save the average household £120 a year.
Emma said:
“Every person should be able to afford to heat their home in winter, and it is scandalous that in one of the richest countries in the world over 3 million people, including many elderly people and young children, are living in fuel poverty.
“At a time when household incomes are frozen, people need help from the Government to stop their bills getting out of control and to make their homes more energy efficient. But under the Coalition we’ve seen the average household’s energy costs go up by more than £300 a year and a huge drop in the number of homes having insulation installed. The Government needs to recognise the severity of this situation and act now to help struggling households who are braving the chill this winter.”