Please  see the message below from National Energy Action regarding concerns about the impact of fuel poverty on people's health and wellbeing. 

"This winter will be one of the most difficult in living memory. Lockdown and increasing unemployment will create a situation where more people are forced to spend time in homes that they can’t afford to heat. Many people will use more, pay more and owe more, while earning considerably less.

The same health conditions impacted by cold indoor temperatures will place people at greater risk of C19, and coping strategies which people normally employ to get through the winter months, such as only having one heated room for the family to socialise in, could also increase the spread of infection. This not only threatens even more lives but hampers collective efforts to reduce infection and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.

This Fuel Poverty Awareness Day we will be doing all we can to raise awareness of the problem, call for greater action, and highlight the existing help and support available.

We would like to encourage as many organisations and individuals as possible to support the day, by sharing our key messages across social media and other communications channels as well as highlighting any support that you are able to offer vulnerable energy customers.

We will share more details and our resource pack nearer the time. In the meantime here are some ideas of ways you can support on the day;.

What you can do:

• Support us on social media, using the hashtags #FuelPovertyAwarenessDay and #WarmSafeHomes.[Our twitter handles are @NEA_UKCharity,@NEA_Cymru and @NEA_NIreland] and share our posts. You can also tag us on Facebook and LinkedIn as National Energy Action.
• Post about what you and others are doing to support vulnerable and low-income energy customers this winter. We will endeavour to re-share as many as possible.
• Share resources around access to support in relation to Covid-19
• Record and share a short video message on why you or your organisation are supporting the day
• Engage with your local MP or other elected officials and encourage them to raise awareness of the issue locally
• Send out a press release to local media to highlight the scale of the problem and the support available.

For further details please contact Michael Potter at Michael.potter(at)nea.org.uk or 07595410756. "