There were 24,000 extra deaths last winter in England and Wales according to new data released today. The Office for National statistics has published the figures for ‘Excess Winter Deaths’ which compares the number of deaths during winter months with the average in other parts of the year.
The official figures show there was an 8% dip in the number of deaths, dropping from 25,700 in the winter of 2010/11 to 24,000 last winter. This was put down to a relatively mild winter and low levels of flu, but the figures still sparked criticism. The World Health Organisation estimates that 30% of winter deaths in Europe may be attributable to living in cold homes. This would suggest that up to 7,200 people died last year from not living in warm, properly insulated homes.
Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution, the biggest fuel poverty alliance ever formed in the UK, said:
“The tragedy is that thousands of these deaths are preventable. For one of the most developed countries in the world it is a national scandal that so many still die from living in cold homes. If UK homes were fully insulated it would significantly reduce the number who die from the cold each year. Instead of pocketing our carbon tax, the Treasury should give it back to super insulate the homes of the fuel poor.”
The Government will collect over £2 billion in carbon tax revenue in 2013, rising to £4 billion every year by 2020. The Energy Bill Revolution alliance estimates that there is enough carbon tax revenue to end fuel poverty and in time help every UK household to maximise their energy efficiency. Resent research commissioned by Consumer Focus has also found that recycling carbon tax revenue in this way would create more growth and jobs per pound invested than any comparable Government spending programme or equivalent tax cut. Despite this the Government are set to axe the Warm Front programme next year, the only centrally funded programme to make homes more energy efficient.
For more information, call Ed Matthew on Tel: 07827 157906
For more information about the Energy Bill Revolution campaign go to www.energybillrevolution.org
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