SUDDEN SNOWFALL HIGHLIGHTS FUEL POVERTY ISSUE IN ST ALBANS

5.28.00pm GMT Mon 2nd Feb 2009

The sudden fall of snow over St Albans yet again highlights the issue of fuel poverty in the district. Households are defined as being in fuel poverty when they have to spend more than ten percent of their income on heating their homes. Recent figures showed that approximately 7,500 households in St Albans district were already in this position even before last year's record fuel price increases. "This equated to 16 percent of households, way above the national average of 10.5 percent of households living in fuel poverty across the whole country. It reflects the relative age of the St Albans housing stock and emphasises that even apparently prosperous areas can be hit by this problem," said Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans.

"The energy regulator Ofgem must accelerate its investigation into the electricity and gas supply markets," Sandy said. "Energy companies were so quick to put up prices last year on the back of wholesale prices. Well wholesale prices have now fallen sharply and they have been strangely reluctant to pass on the full savings to end consumers. It is time that the regulator showed its teeth and ensured real relief for ordinary customers."

"Ofgem also must ensure that tariffs are fair to everyone. It is not right that customers on pre-payment meters - who are generally in the most disadvantaged social groups - should be paying more than others for their energy.

"And we have to help local residents to be smarter about how energy is used. Having adequate wall and roof insulation is a must. But so-called "smart meters" can instantly monitor overall energy consumption in a home or focus in on a specific appliance. It should be government policy for these to be fitted to every home. But in the short-run schemes like that in Lib Dem controlled York where smart meters are available for loan from local libraries could be very helpful to people wanting to see how to cut their energy consumption and their bills simply by changing patterns of usage. It would be really good to see a similar programme in St Albans. I have alerted local councillors to the York programme, to see whether it can be replicated here," Sandy concluded.