Cost of Living crisis: Climate group calling on Sheffield MPs to act on warm homes

A local climate group has launched a petition calling on MPs from Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster to take action on warm homes.
Harry Harrison
By Harry Harrison
Published 28th Mar 2023, 17:46 BST
Updated 28th Mar 2023, 17:46 BST
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The Sheffield branch of the Friends of the Earth group started their petition as people across the region deal with the rising cost of living and soaring energy bills.

The petition reads: “Millions of people are struggling with soaring bills and the rising cost of living. Even with the government's price freeze, the average energy bill has almost doubled in 12 months.

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“Here in South Yorkshire people are left with the impossible choice of staying warm or putting food on the table. We need our government to do more and our MPs can help make that happen.”

Sheffield MPs have been called to take action to support people in the region affected by soaring energy costs. Pictured are Sheffield's six MPs. Top (L-R) - Louise Haigh, Gill Furniss, Paul Blomfield. Bottom (L-R) - Miriam Cates, Olivia Blake, Clive Betts.Sheffield MPs have been called to take action to support people in the region affected by soaring energy costs. Pictured are Sheffield's six MPs. Top (L-R) - Louise Haigh, Gill Furniss, Paul Blomfield. Bottom (L-R) - Miriam Cates, Olivia Blake, Clive Betts.
Sheffield MPs have been called to take action to support people in the region affected by soaring energy costs. Pictured are Sheffield's six MPs. Top (L-R) - Louise Haigh, Gill Furniss, Paul Blomfield. Bottom (L-R) - Miriam Cates, Olivia Blake, Clive Betts.

The petition calls for “urgent support for people dealing with sky-high energy bills” through price guarantees, targetted extra payments and fair energy pricing; “a new emergency programme to insulate our heat-leaking homes”, which the petition states is the “cheapest and easiest” way to permanently reduce bills; and “an energy system powered by cheap, green renewables”.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), gas prices have risen by 129.4 per cent on the year to February 2023, with electricity prices climbing 66.7 per cent for the same time period. As a result, more than half (54 per cent) of adults in Great Britain are reporting they are using less fuel in their homes.

Sheffield City Council have recently revealed their successful bid for a total of £8million in funding to make hundreds of homes in the city warmer.

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The Homes Upgrade Grant (HUG) 2 secured just over £4m and is aimed at low income, private sector homes that are off-the-gas-grid with their main source of heating being another fuel other than gas. Another £4m bid for Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding was also successful and will contribute toward significant energy efficiency improvements to 370 Council homes.

Councillor Douglas Johnson, Chair of Housing Policy Committee, said: “This is such welcome news for us and an important step from both a climate change perspective and for helping people to keep warm.

“It can only be good for the environment for people being able to upgrade their homes to modern, more efficient standards of heating.”

If you would like to read more about Sheffield Friends of the Earth’s petition, you can find it online here.

Related topics:SheffieldMPsBarnsleyRotherhamDoncasterSheffield City CouncilDouglas Johnson

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