More misery as the millionaire cabal of public school thugs continue their onslaught against the living conditions of the ordinary people of this country with their “austerity cuts”. While we, the people who actually create all the wealth of the country, are facing wage freezes, wage cuts and decimation of all social services etc. the corporate world, in the shape of the energy companies, are putting the boot in. Fuel poverty is of epidemic proportions, thanks to their greed in seeking ever greater profits. During the period from 1996 to 2003, fuel poverty fell from a staggering 6.5 million people to approximately 2 million. However, from 2004 to 2009 the cost of domestic electricity rose by 75% and gas by 122%. So with falling incomes and rising prices we now find that the figures for fuel poverty for 2009 rose by 1 million to an unacceptable 5.5 million. That accounts for approximately 22% of the population.
We know that since 2009 the price of domestic electricity and gas has risen several times, so who knows where the figures will be by now. On top of this domestic electricity is set to increase by 12% and gas by 18% come August. Another fact that should concern us is that fuel poverty tends to hit the most vulnerable in our society, the elderly, children, disabled and the long term ill, plus, 50% of fuel poor are over the age of 60.
What do you want --mince or a heat?
This is a picture of one of the richest countries in the world. A country at the forefront of developed capitalism. We can rest assured that if we stick with present system things will not get any better.
In any civilised society we should not be faced with the decision, do we eat, or do we heat. No one in a civilised country should die in their home from hypothermia because they couldn't afford the heat. A civilised society must have social services, not a system whereby the corporate world owns and controls everything, and sells it at a profit to those that can afford to pay and to hell with those who can't.
Fuel poverty will only be eradicated when we take control of society and shape it to serve the needs of all our people, rather than serving the greed of a pack of parasitical shareholders.
