GAS PRICES UP 35% - ALREADY TOO HIGH FIGURE OF 7,500 ST ALBANS HOUSEHOLDS IN 'FUEL POVERTY' WILL INCREASE

4.36.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Aug 2008

With British Gas/Centrica confirming that it has increased gas prices by 35% with immediate effect, and other suppliers expected to follow, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington has expressed his great concern for local residents in St Albans.

"British Gas has announced these rises when the cost of heating is as far from people's minds as it could be," he said. "But the fact is that so-called 'fuel poverty' is a live issue in St Albans.

"Even back in 2004 16 percent of St Albans households were recorded as living in fuel poverty - that is that people have to spend more than ten percent of their income on heating their homes. That compares with a national average of 10.5 percent of households. We get used to hearing how affluent St Albans is," Sandy said. "But with a large number of much older properties, there is a lot of inefficiency in the housing stock and many of our residents exist on relatively modest incomes.

"The worry is that for people such as pensioners living on fixed incomes, these new prices rises mean that many more local people will be thrown into fuel poverty," Sandy said. "In 2004 approximately 7,500 households were already living in fuel poverty in St Albans District. The figure will now be much higher as we go into autumn and the winter months, and the impact will be the worst on the most vulnerable.

"This is believed to be the largest single increase in price of a utility ever recorded. The temptation will be for people to turn down the thermostat below recommended safe levels. A co-ordinated response is required. Both the Government and the big energy companies are getting windfalls from higher gas prices. They must work together much more effectively to recycle their gains into increasing the energy efficiency of people's homes. It's not rocket science but it will require determination and focus, for example providing subsidised insulation and in promoting green energy sources such as solar."