Fuel poor remembered, says minister
Published on : 07/06/2007
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The latest government energy plans do include measures aimed to provide relief for Britain's fuel poor, a department for environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) official has said.
Minister for Climate Change Dr Ian Pearson, who is charged with responsibility for the fuel poor said that the latest government white paper was did not signal the end of its policy decisions - and said that he agreed with local authorities, Energywatch, charities and consumer groups that vulnerable consumers needed greater assistance.
Dr Pearson, speaking at a seminar organised by consumer champion Energywatch, told attendees that action was needed to address the three main drivers of fuel poverty - income, fuel prices and energy efficiency.
Adding that social justice must be at the heart of all government policies, the minister asserted that tackling fuel poverty was one of the main issues his department was looking to tackle through its policies.
"Given the scale of the challenge now facing us, I accept that more is required," he commented.
"As with climate change and energy security, there is no silver bullet. Rather, like Al Gore says, we need silver buckshot."
