Fuel Poverty: It's Not Just France's Problem As Excess Winter Deaths Rise

For readers in the UK. And we Canadians should not be smug or complacent.Soon we'll find ourselves in the shoes of the French and British.


Fuel Poverty- It’s a HUGE problem- Excess Winter Deaths Continue to Rise...

In a world that is warming? How is this possible? It’s possible because AGW as sold is the “BIG LIE’ and a massively impoverished population in a colder climate is freezing to death!And Britain isn’t even as cold as most, but not all of Canada. Though this winter is looking to be  another very cold one. It’s certainly already started off that way! I’ve had this article bookmarked for a bit. It seems to fit right into the situation in France. Discussed is the huge increase in winter deaths in the UK. The spin is that it’s due to the ineffective flu vaccine and the elderly being ‘unable to know when they are cold’I’ve tackled the ineffective flu vaccine countless times. Promoted as a panacea. Failing constantly. However the very idea that the elderly don’t know when they are cold and are allowing themselves to freeze to death is  both absurd and insulting.The real problem is people cannot afford, in a cold climate, to keep themselves warm. Because they are so deeply impoverished. Pick pocket economics has left them lacking.I’m ignoring the spin, nonsense and garbage to cut to the chaseWinter is coming

The number of excess winter deaths each year continues to rise, according to official figuresIt is unsurprising that, even on an international scale, more people die in winter than in summer. (this inconvenient fact has been previously discussed here) After all, the winter season is known to bring heightened risks of injury, illness and depression. It seems however that the UK is particularly susceptible to the dangerous impacts that the winter can have on our health. Earlier this year, it was revealed the UK has the sixth worst long-term rate of excess winter mortality out of 30 countries in Europe according to climate change think tank E3G and fuel poverty charity National Energy Action.

Caroline Abrahams the charity director of  Age UK, said: “Last winter there were nearly 46,000 excess winter deaths amongst people aged 65 and over – a shocking 92 per cent of all excess deaths – equating to 379 older people a day. These distressing figures are now the highest we’ve seen in over 40 years"

“A toxic cocktail of poor housing, high energy prices and ill health can make winter a dangerous time for many older people, and tragically it is the oldest old and those who are the most vulnerable who particularly suffer the consequences.

These people can deal with their ill health much more effectively if they aren't freezing!

“We know such high levels of excess winter deaths are not inevitable. As a country we are not doing enough to ensure our older population stays warm and well throughout the harsh winter months.”

What harsh winter months? Winter’s just a thing of the past.... A fiction. You only believe in winter being cold  if you are a ‘climate denier’..Had enough of that absurd meme yet?  I sure have!

It is important to remember however, that it is not only the elderly who are vulnerable to excess winter mortality. This time last year, the story of Elaine Morrall, the 38-year-old mum from Cheshire who died “wrapped in a coat and scarf” in her freezing home, made national news. Unable to pay the bills after her benefits were stopped, Elaine only ever turned the heating on when her children came home from school. Fuel poverty (being unable to afford to keep your home adequately heated), is not mentioned as a cause of EWDs in the report by the ONS, but research by E3G has found that on average 9,700 excess winter mortality deaths are caused by a cold home.

As well as being the co-author of this research, Peter Smith also works for National Energy Action (NEA), a charity working to end fuel poverty. Commenting on the findings, he said: “As the UK experiences one of the harshest winters for several years, it is important to remember that this causes needless hardship, places health at risk and leads to premature death. Beyond the terrible scale of cold-related winter deaths, people experiencing fuel poverty can also struggle with poor mental health, and this can sadly lead to total social isolation and even suicide. This preventable tragedy must end. The government must support the strong case for the re-introduction of adequate public capital investment — a necessity if we are to make the UK’s homes warmer and safe for human habitation.”

The problem of fuel poverty in the UK is only becoming worse as fuel prices rise year on year. People across the country are continuing to suffer simply because they cannot afford to keep their homes warm. The rise in EWD figures is therefore no surprise to Smith and the NEA.

“These figures remind us all just how unacceptable it is that in a modern country like Britain even during milder weather the cold still kills. It should also be noted that for every EWD there are between six and eight unplanned hospital visits and many people not hospitalised will also be using other depressing and dangerous ways to fend off the effects of living in a cold home.“We all know that people regularly cut back on their energy use and rely on food banks to get by during winter. But in a modern country like Britain people are even barbecuing in sinks, going to bed early to keep warm and permanently using candles for lighting. Frontline workers have also told us they regularly see dangerous appliances being used, ventilation blocked off and people spending days in A&E and libraries just to keep warm.”

Vulnerable groups are being driven to drastic measures to simply survive the winter. Clearly, there needs to be better provision for those who struggle economically, physically and mentally during the colder months. After all, excess winter deaths are just that — excesses. They are largely preventable, but in order to put a stop to the ever-increasing number of EWDs, the government needs to take greater steps towards protecting the most susceptible members of society during wintertime.

One positive step that could be taken towards ending fuel poverty would be to stop selling the AGW agenda. Period. No carbon taxes. Period. Stop funding 'studies' that are done to produce the desired agenda promoting outcome. This big lie is costing more in dollars and lives simply to enrich a specific class of people. Including 'big oil'