Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age Concern and Help the Aged said:-

"This report shines a light on the shocking reality of fuel poverty.  As a result, Age Concern and Help the Aged supports both the overall assessment of the FPAG Annual Report, and its specific recommendations.

"The Government must put eradicating fuel poverty at the very heart of its agenda.  Ministers have flagged good intentions and shown in a series of announcements this year that they know what needs to be done.  But there is still a failure in Government to lead from the front.  Instead, there is an over-reliance on energy suppliers to fund key programmes - ultimately at the expense of all energy users, including the fuel poor.

"The scale and urgency of solutions - such as social tariffs and the Community Energy Saving programme - mocks the genuine plight in which more than five million households in fuel poverty find themselves struggling to manage every winter.   It is imperative that a proper business plan and a route map to deal with this elementary problem is prepared by and owned by the Government as a whole.   This needs to happen now - or more vulnerable older people will struggle to keep warm and well."

Fuel Poverty Advisory Group - Seventh Annual Report