Sue Doughty's Lib Dems slam the government over winter fuel payment wipeout

6.39.00pm GMT Fri 25th Jan 2008

Sue Doughty, Parliamentary Spokesperson for Guildford together with her strong team of local Liberal Democrat Councillors, are calling upon the Government to protect pensioners in Guildford from energy price rises.

They have made the call after figures showed that recent increases in the cost of electricity and gas are set to wipe out pensioners' winter fuel payment.

Figures received by the Liberal Democrats from the House of Commons Library show that since 2004/5, and taking into account recently announced price rises:

• For a typical pensioner household aged 65-74 with gas central heating, gas bills have gone up by £260pa and electricity by £160pa - a total of £420

• For a typical pensioner household aged over 75 gas bills are up £200pa and electricity bills up £150pa - a total of £350

• The value of the Winter Fuel Payment per household for those aged 60-79 is £200, and £300 for those aged over 80

• The £300 rate for the over 80s was introduced in the winter of 2003/04 and hasn't risen since

Sue Doughty, an environmental expert and former Lib Dem Shadow Environment Spokesperson added:

"The recent fuel cost rises will put Guildford pensioners in a financially desperate position. The Government need to do far more to combat fuel poverty.

"The top priority must be to end the scandal where pensioners are paying a fortune to heat draughty

houses where so much heat is simply wasted. Many older people are currently paying to heat the great outdoors in addition to their own home, which they can barely afford to do as it is.

"This is a complete waste of scarce cash, it makes no sense for the environment. I know that in many other European countries with far colder weather, household energy bills are lower because homes are better insulated and heating is more energy-efficient.

"The Government needs to get its act together and make sure that our pensioners don't have to make the rather sad choice of deciding between heating and eating on cold winter days."

Councillor Fiona White, Lib Dem Group Leader & former Housing Committee Chair for Guildford Borough Council said:

"It's an absolute outrage that the elderly and disabled - the most vulnerable people in Guildford, are hardest hit by fuel price hikes, which more than wipe out the value of the Winter Fuel Payment."