UK Fuel Poverty Summit 'Missing the Point'
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Fuel poverty summit: World Development Movement accuses industry and government of 'missing the point'.
Today, government ministers, energy companies and campaigners are meeting to discuss fuel poverty in light of rising gas and electricity bills. The World Development Movement accuses the energy industry and government of missing the point and choosing to invest in spin, rather than renewable energy. Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said: "The current rise in energy bills is due to the rise in the price of fossil fuels; the price of coal has doubled in the past year. But the energy industry and the government are currently investing in spin to deliver the message that renewable energy is too expensive. "The government and energy industry are missing the point: the real solution to solving fuel poverty is through the promotion of energy efficiency in households and government subsidies for renewable forms of energy. "As an example, E.ON is pushing the government to back coal power stations, rather than renewable energy. This is nonsensical: coal is one of the most polluting fuels; the UK imports the vast majority of coal, a third coming from Russia, which compromises energy security; and the price of coal is rising so electricity bills and fuel poverty will rise too." ENDS |
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