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'Save lives by insulating homes', Government urged
23 November 2010
Commenting on the numbers of excess deaths last winter revealed in Government figures today, Friends of the Earth's Warm Homes campaigner Dave Timms said:
"Lower outbreaks of flu helped cut winter deaths last year despite the bitterly cold weather - improving homes so they're better insulated and cheaper to heat could help save even more lives.
"Living in a cold, damp house can make heart disease and strokes more likely - it's a disgrace that millions of vulnerable people in Britain live in homes lacking basic insulation.
"Next month's Energy Bill is an opportunity for the Government to protect the nation's health and tackle climate change by delivering a nationwide refit to improve the worst insulated homes by 2020."
Key statistics from the report:
- There were an estimated 25,400 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2009/10 - a 30 per cent decrease compared to 2008/09.
- The number of extra deaths in winter varies depending on temperature, level of disease (particularly influenza) and other factors. Winter 2009/10 was the coldest since 1995/96 but flu levels were below baseline levels for most of the season.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- There are more figures on cold homes and associated health problems in this factfile.
- Friends of the Earth is campaigning for the Energy Bill to warm our homes, not the planet.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Nov 2010
