City MP urges action to beat fuel poverty

EDINBURGH North & Leith Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz was today set to call for urgent steps to tackle fuel poverty.

In a debate at Westminster, he urged the UK Government to increase winter fuel payments, extend the payments to more people and introduce an extra winter fuel voucher which would be paid for by levy on energy companies.

Mr Lazarowicz, who is chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance, also wants more action to promote energy efficiency and conservation. And he called for measures to promote higher take-up of social tariffs, where energy suppliers offer discounts to their more vulnerable customers.

Today's debate comes as consumers brace themselves for big hikes in energy prices. Last week, Npower announced rises of 17.2 per cent for gas and 12.7 per cent for electricity.