Help the Aged takes Government to court over 'feeble' response to fuel poverty » Central government » 24dash.com

A national charity is taking the Government to court over claims that it has failed to meet legal obligations to cut fuel poverty.

Help the Aged, alongside environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth, took legal action after the Government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Group said it expected to miss its legal target to eliminate fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010. Ministers will face a High Court judge at a judicial review on Monday.

But the Government has insisted that fuel poverty is a high priority and has pledged GBP1 billion to help struggling householders.

Figures from the Government's annual fuel poverty progress report show that 3.5 million households in England were estimated to be in fuel poverty in 2006. The figure has almost trebled from 1.2 million in 2004.

Estimates from Help the Aged and Friends of the Earth calculate that at least 5 million households across the UK are now in fuel poverty.

As part of their case, the charities will highlight the Government's failure to set a minimum standard of energy efficiency to be applied to affected households and the lack of a costed action plan for meeting its targets.

Special adviser for Help the Aged, Mervyn Kohler, said on Thursday: "Fuel poverty is escalating out of control and the response from Government has been completely feeble.

“According to today's progress report, it is now obvious to all that the Government will not meet its legal obligation to eradicate fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010. This is a far cry from the progress we need.

"This winter, millions of people will be cutting back on food or fuel or both, putting their health in jeopardy and living in misery. The Government's report lists at length the measures it is taking, but with no assessment of how effective they will be at reducing fuel poverty.

"What's needed is a Government strategy that combines both short- and long-term solutions: crisis payments to help with the here and now and, in the longer term, improvements to the energy efficiency of our housing stock.

“That's why Help the Aged and Friends of the Earth have sought a judicial review, to ensure the Government finally delivers on its duty to end fuel poverty."

Friends of the Earth director Andy Atkins said: "Ministers have legal obligations to do all they can to end fuel poverty - Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged are taking the Government to court next week to ensure that they do."

A Government spokesperson said: "The matter is shortly to be heard in the High Court and we cannot comment further at this stage. In the meantime fuel poverty continues to be a key priority for government and we are doing all we can to help the most vulnerable keep warm this winter.

"We have already invested GBP20 billion since 2000 on a range of benefits and programmes to increase fuel efficiency and target those most in need of assistance, and recently announced a further GBP1 billion in help to householders.

"The Government met with energy suppliers and home insulation companies on Thursday to stress the urgent need to work together to help as many people as possible this winter.

“Both groups reiterated their commitment to do so, with the insulation industry saying that they expect to insulate an extra 250,000 homes over the next six months or so."