Pensioners across Merton are becoming energy savvy in preparation for the winter.
By Tessa Emslie, Chris Moore, Aisha Avery and Toby Harrison
Pensioners across Merton are becoming energy savvy in preparation for the winter.
Events at Pollards Hill, Morden, Mitcham and Wimbledon libraries are being organised by Merton Seniors Forum this week to offer practical advice on saving energy and money.
Fuel poverty – when home owners spend more than 10% of their annual income on heating their homes – is an increasing problem, especially among the elderly.
Nationally, more than 30,000 people die every year as a result of fuel poverty and, with bills soaring and a cold winter ahead, it is a pressing issue for pensioners.
Even the Queen is not immune. The burden of heating four palaces and a castle have pushed the Monarch close to the 10% threshold.
Myrtle Agutter, of Merton Seniors Forum, said: “Older people are going to be very hard hit this winter with a reduction in the Winter Fuel Allowance and huge rises in energy prices. These sessions are offering practical help that we hope will make a difference.”
The next events are on Thursday (November 10) at Mitcham Library, 10.30am-2pm and the following day at Wimbledon Library, again 10.30am-2pm.
Bowlers at the Strawberry Hill club in Twickenham told this week of the problems they face in staying warm.
Christine Popplewell, who volunteers at Strawberry Hill House, uses a switch meter to monitor her energy usage and Susan Allen says she uses heavy curtains to block drafts in her Victorian home.
And it’s not just an issue for the older generation.
Patrick Green, 24, a gardener, said he now turns on his heating only when he needs it, rather than using a timer, and has changed energy supplier to find the best deal.
