Elderly charity Age UK has called for “urgent action” from the government to protect elderly home owners with improved heating and efficiency measures.
The charity has claimed in a new report, released today, that one person will die every seven minutes this winter from cold-related diseases, with the elderly being most at risk.
The charity has launched its Campaign for Warm Homes, which calls for the government to reform its energy efficiency programmes and to make energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority.
It claims that programmes such as ECO and the Green Deal have “not gone nearly far enough” to help elderly people warm their homes and wants the government to commit to a target of bringing 2 million low income homes in the UK up to EPC Band C by 2020.
This target is extended to include all 6 million low income homes by 2025.
Following the Conservative government’s “policy reset” this summer the only government efficiency initiative still standing is ECO, however earlier this month energy secretary Amber Rudd said that a replacement for the Green Deal would be forthcoming early next year at the latest.
While the two programmes combined sought to stimulate the UK’s efficiency market the now-defunct Green Deal has been the subject of much criticism for its overly complicated nature, while the industry has also bemoaned a lack of ambition in targets for ECO unveiled by Rudd last week.
