Fuel poverty

[Coach]

Official figures released last week show more than 31,000 people died needlessly during last winter’s freezing weather, of whom about 10,000 deaths are estimated to have been the result of cold homes.

Tory answer to this - fiddle the statistics so that 800,000 people are no longer considered fuel poor.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...offuel-poverty--by-redefining-it-8976232.html

Shameful.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

How do they know someone died from living in a cold home? There was a thing from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation saying that most of the deaths they associate with cold homes were from heart failure etc. yet research from Age UK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...-people-s-health-winter-warns-new-report.html) suggests the heart is only really suffering when the home gets below 12 degrees.

Must have very little heating on at all to have a home quite that cold.

Comfort cannot be defined absolutely, but the World Health Organization's standard for warmth says 18C (64F) is suitable for healthy people who are appropriately dressed. For those with respiratory problems or allergies, they recommend a minimum of 16C (60.8C); and for the sick, disabled, very old or very young, a minimum of 20C (68F).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12606943

Interesting stats a bit further on

According to one widely quoted model, initially devised in 1997 by the Building Research Establishment and used in My 2050, average indoor temperatures have risen from 12C in 1970 to about 17.5C (63.5F) today.

How did people cope with things in the 70's? If the money isn't there to put the heating on, what were folks in the 70's doing to stay warm that we're not doing now?

 

[rascal]

Probably the only privatisation of the family silver that is more ****ed up than railways

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Probably the only privatisation of the family silver that is more ****ed up than railways

As above though, the average home is a whopping 5 degrees warmer today than in the 1970's, when the utilities were all state owned. What were the figures like back then for cold home related deaths? What, if anything, did people do differently to keep warm back then?

 

[evilwebby]

WTF does "fuel-poor" or "fuel-poverty" mean? You buy fuel as one of your services from your income. There is such a thing as "poor", there is no such thing as being "fuel-poor".

It's just a politically invented phrase that allows politicians of all persuasions to bash the utilities to try to win more votes.

Needless to say that I could probably get into some very long and arduous discussions on why the energy companies AREN'T the money-grabbing barstewards that they are painted to be, but moreover, until this country - its people and its politicians - learn to actually embrace profits and doesn't see commercial success as something to be resentful of, then it it will always try to destroy the things that actually improve our lives and our standards of living.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

WTF does "fuel-poor" or "fuel-poverty" mean? You buy fuel as one of your services from your income. There is such a thing as "poor", there is no such thing as being "fuel-poor".

It's just a politically invented phrase that allows politicians of all persuasions to bash the utilities to try to win more votes.

Needless to say that I could probably get into some very long and arduous discussions on why the energy companies AREN'T the money-grabbing barstewards that they are painted to be, but moreover, until this country - its people and its politicians - learn to actually embrace profits and doesn't see commercial success as something to be resentful of, then it it will always try to destroy the things that actually improve our lives and our standards of living.

So the £3.7BN profit that the big 6 energy companies reported in 2012, which showed an increase of 73% in 3 years - is what exactly?

Smacks of cartelling to abuse the consumer to me like......call me naïve

Fuel poverty, is where people are having to choose between heating their homes & not, due to unaffordable energy prices, it's not merely a soundbite, it's a very real reality for some of our seniors.

 

[Coach]

WTF does "fuel-poor" or "fuel-poverty" mean? You buy fuel as one of your services from your income. There is such a thing as "poor", there is no such thing as being "fuel-poor".

It's just a politically invented phrase that allows politicians of all persuasions to bash the utilities to try to win more votes.

Needless to say that I could probably get into some very long and arduous discussions on why the energy companies AREN'T the money-grabbing barstewards that they are painted to be, but moreover, until this country - its people and its politicians - learn to actually embrace profits and doesn't see commercial success as something to be resentful of, then it it will always try to destroy the things that actually improve our lives and our standards of living.

How would "embracing profit" "actually improve" the "lives" and "standards of living" of the 31,000 people who needlessly died last year?

 

[Mrk]

So the £3.7BN profit that the big 6 energy companies reported in 2012, which showed an increase of 73% in 3 years - is what exactly?

Smacks of cartelling to abuse the consumer to me like......call me naïve

Fuel poverty, is where people are having to choose between heating their homes & not, due to unaffordable energy prices, it's not merely a soundbite, it's a very real reality for some of our seniors.

While I agree it is most definitely a problem, especially for pensioners, several weeks ago a few people were interviewed at home about struggling to heat their homes, one genuinely did appear to be on the breadline, one had a flatscreen TV and sky box in the background and the other had a smartphone.

Now, while we all enjoy the luxuries in life, if you can afford subscription TV and/or an expensive phone contract, you're not in fuel poverty.

 

[Blue 1]

While I agree it is most definitely a problem, especially for pensioners, several weeks ago a few people were interviewed at home about struggling to heat their homes, one genuinely did appear to be on the breadline, one had a flatscreen TV and sky box in the background and the other had a smartphone.

Now, while we all enjoy the luxuries in life, if you can afford subscription TV and an expensive phone contract, you're not in fuel poverty.

How do you know it was a Sky box and not a freeview recorder? Did they say it was a Sky box?

Aren't most TV's flatscreen these days?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

How would "embracing profit" "actually improve" the "lives" and "standards of living" of the 31,000 people who needlessly died last year?

As per my thread, the stats seem to suggest the average home is 5degrees warmer now than it was in the 70's when utilities were nationalised.

I've no idea of the death rate back then, but it would suggest people either coped better with it, or deaths were significantly higher. That is of course on the 'consumer' side.

On the 'supply' side, either we're wealthier now relative to then, or energy is cheaper relative to our wealth?

 

[Mrk]

How do you know it was a Sky box and not a freeview recorder? Did they say it was a Sky box?

Aren't most TV's flatscreen these days?

Because the little blue light thingy was spinning around (and it was the same box as I have), I watch news in HD you know?

Yep, it was rather nice.

 

[rascal]

While I agree it is most definitely a problem, especially for pensioners, several weeks ago a few people were interviewed at home about struggling to heat their homes, one genuinely did appear to be on the breadline, one had a flatscreen TV and sky box in the background and the other had a smartphone.

Now, while we all enjoy the luxuries in life, if you can afford subscription TV and/or an expensive phone contract, you're not in fuel poverty.

Absolutely agree. If you were like that you should sell the luxury items. Either that or just put extra layers on.....

 

[rascal]

It's all linked to the cost of living

 

[rascal]

As above though, the average home is a whopping 5 degrees warmer today than in the 1970's, when the utilities were all state owned. What were the figures like back then for cold home related deaths? What, if anything, did people do differently to keep warm back then?

There were many outside influences which contributed to that. A lot of problems have been ironed out, hasn't stopped energy companies ****ting down the necks of their consumers.

 

[Blue 1]

Because the little blue light thingy was spinning around (and it was the same box as I have), I watch news in HD you know?

Yep, it was rather nice.

Haha, fair play then.