Crofton Park Public Meeting - Anti-Fuel Poverty Campaign

Absence and party political games were clearly hiding in a serious issue and one that I have been battling against since I became aware of pre-payment meters and their consequences. You see my parents had a stark choice, to feed themselves or to feed the premium priced pre-payment meter.

On Thursday 28th, I attended and spoke pleading that regulation and price controls along with a windfall tax, are all needed along with insulation of our entire housing stock, starting with the poorest households; in order to tell the greedy energy companies that they are no longer allowed to rip us off for our energy and to push more and more people into fuel poverty.

I have to say I was very impressed by Ron Bailey, the chair of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and what he had to say, although I had heard so many conflicting views about the Fuel Poverty Bill. The meeting also had some other very good speakers: Mervyn Kohler - Age Concern & Help the Aged Special Advisor; Dave Timms - Friends of the Earth Senior Parliamentary Campaigner and Ruth Bond - National Federation of Women's Institutes Chair of Public Affairs.

Also present were the politicians. Firstly, (and in no particular order), Gemma Townsend, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Lewisham Deptford; Cllr Chris Maines, Lib Dem Group Leader Lewisham Council and Cllr Darren Johnson AM, Green parliamentary candidate for Lewisham Deptford. Joan Ruddock did not attend and I am disinclined to say anymore on her absence.

So what was achieved? Well there were disparate views and the inevitable Labour Party bashing. But what would the Fuel Poverty Bill do, if made law:

- Require a national energy efficiency programme ensuring that homes of people in fuel poverty are properly insulated;

- Protect households from failing back into fuel poverty as a result of possible future fuel price rises;

- Create tens of thousands of “green” jobs and provide a major boost to the economy;

- Reduce household fuel bills by up to 70%;

- Cut emissions of carbon dioxide from homes to reduce climate change;

- Cut costs to the health service due to the reduction in cold and damp related illnesses.

It is essential and I support it, but we also need to punish the greed and regulate prices to stop the daylight robbery by the privatised electricity companies – nearly all of which are foreign owned. So my Fuel Poverty Bill would contain:

- Windfall Tax on the energy companies to fund the insulation objectives of the bill;

- Price regulation telling the companies what they could charge – there would be no more double digit rises;

- Abolition of pre-payment meters, so everyone pays the same no matter what way they pay their bills;

- Insulation and renewal energy.

Finally, I was appalled by the blatant party political games that Darren Johnson and Chris Maines engaged in. They did not do themselves any favours as this issue is more important than party politics. It was quite refreshing that Gemma Townsend presented a different case.

When someone dies because they cannot heat their home in the Winter, it becomes a national disgrace. In 2009, this should not be happening and this bill goes partly along the way to achieve the ultimate goal of abolishing fuel poverty for good. We cannot wait and allow more people to suffer the unacceptable position of choosing to eat or heat their homes. Lets all work together regardless of party political membership.