Every year, there is a battle to reduce the number of winter deaths in Wales caused by, or contributed to, by cold homes. CIARAN KELLY reports.

MORE than 1,000 people aged 65 and over died last winter from preventable illnesses in Wales.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 1,100 people died as a result of poorly insulated homes or a lack of money to pay for heating.

Excess winter deaths are determined when the number of deaths in winter months – December to March – is compared to the averages for spring, summer, and autumn.

Any deaths above the average are classed as excess winter deaths

Owed, in part, to a milder winter, last winter’s figure was a 41 per cent% drop on the 1,850 winter deaths in the same period in 2012/13.

Indeed, in Wales and England combined, there were 18,200 excess winter deaths in 2013/14, which is the lowest figure since records began in 1950.

Graeme Francis, Age Cymru’s head of policy and public affairs, said: that he wasis encouraged by the figures but warned that there is little room for complacency.He said: “The long-term average figure in Wales is 1,500 over five years and it has come down over the past 20 or 30 years.

“The figures are good news, but last winter was mild so there should be no complacency.

“We’re having more extremes in temperatures and although the trend is slowing down, it is not going away. It’s still high compared to other areas. For example, Scandinavia and Germany have colder average temperatures yet do not have anywhere near the same numberamount of deaths.

“These figures for Wales equate to around nine people per day and the vast majority are older people aged above 65 and above 75.

“All, or most, of these deaths are preventable.

“It’s just about making sure that people live in homes that heat to an adequate temperature and that they are not leaking heat through their windows, roof or walls.

He added: “A cold house raises blood pressure and puts a strain on the heart and lungs.

“Those dying from pneumonia is actually quite a small number and there are actually more heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory-related deaths.

“It’s a generational thing about making the most of the current situation. They’ve had to get used to difficult decisions, regarding heating and eating, and tough it out.

“Our Keep Well this Winter campaign has been going for more thanover a decade, to introduce thermometers into people’s homes so they know whether they are in the safe band or not.

“We also have the Spread the Warmth campaign for people to look out for friends and neighbours, which is particularly important in the run-up to Christmas. It’s as much a social thing, really.”

According to the Office for National Statistics’ figures, the majority of ‘excess winter mortality’ deaths across the UK last winter occurred among those aged 75 and over.

To tackle this, Willmott Dixon Energy Services are is working within communities across Wales to reduce energy bills.

The arbed 2 ERDF scheme is a three-year funded programme aiming to improve the energy efficiency of homes in specific areas across Wales as defined by the Welsh Government.

John Griffiths, AM for Newport East, believes that the work of schemes such as Keep Well this Winter and arbed has been encouraging in the fight against excess winter deaths.

Mr Griffiths said: “There’s no room for complacency, particularly with the current state of the economy when people do not have loweras much disposable incomes.

“There’s a struggle to pay bills and that is having a bearing on heating, whether it is having it low or not having it on at all.

“It has a direct impact on people’s health, particularly the elderly.

“The effort to help has to be as strong as possible and it would be great to see the arbed scheme for insulation scaled up for more homes. I think the Keep Warm this Winter campaign is also helping.

“At the office, we receive a steady stream of letters, emails, and calls from people asking for help with their insulation.

“It’s about giving support and advice, too, for people to adopt sensible attitudes so that they do not have to scrimp and save.

“In Wales, the homes needing work are greater than the resources available, so it is a challenge to deal with more homes when public finances are so strained.”

Alongside government schemes and charity organisations’ assistance, energy companies are devising their own schemes to assist customers.

A spokesman for SWALEC, which suppliesy gas and electricity to business and domestic customers throughout Wales, said that the company is doing all it can to help its customers save money.

He said: “We recognise that heating our homes is a basic necessity of life.

“Fuel poverty is an area that all parties need to work closely together on, including government agencies, social services and energy companies.

“It is vitally important that we get the message through to anyone worried about their energy bill that they should call us and let us help them.

“There are lots of things we can do to help, like insulating our customers’ homes so they don’t use more energy than they need to.

“We can also check that a customer is getting all the help they are entitled to, like the £140-a-year warm home discount.

“People need to stay warm and we will ensure that they do so.

“For example, as with previous winters, we are committing to a no disconnection policy over this winter period.”

David Davies, MP for Monmouth, said that, ultimately, people awere being crippled by the rising costs of energy sources.

He said: “It’s a sad fact that for many more years that elderly people die in winter than summer. It’s just about educating people about insulating their homes, but because there is so much going on, ultimately, the cost is too much.

“It’s time we agreed on energy costs, as they are too high. Rather than freezing costs, we need to scrap green taxes and generate electricity from cheaper sources such as coal and gas.I believe it’s pointless for the UK to tax energy sources when no one else is.

“There is a place for renewable energy but the more sources we derive from, the more it costs.”

Get information on help with keeping your home warm at:There https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator

For information on the winter fuel payment, visit: go here https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

The Welsh Government’s NEST scheme helping reduce the number of homes in fuel poverty has information at: here http://www.nestwales.org.uk/

THE Warm Home Discount scheme is offered by the big six energy suppliers and for 2014/15 will provide a £140 discount on electricity bills.

For those on prepayment meters, £140 will be credited on to your meter or sent via post office vouchers.

Core Group - The Core Group should automatically receive a letter from the UK Department of Work for Pensions by late 2014 or early 2015 and so on for each financial year.

If you think you meet the qualifying criteria, but do not receive a letter, it is best to contact your energy supplier.

All households in receipt of the guarantee and savings element of pension credit should automatically receive the discount.

Broader group Customers, on means-tested benefits or low incomes, may also qualify for the Warm Home Discount under the Broader Group.

Each electricity supplier has different eligibility criteria for their Broader Group, so it is best to contact the electricity supplier for Warm Home Discount approval.

Applications to the Broader Group are completed on a first come, first serve basis. Therefore, it is important to get applications for the Broader Group in early for each financial year.

You can call Nest, on 0808 808 2244 to be signposted on to the Warm Home Discount, or alternatively call your energy supplier on the numbers below:

l SWALEC

0800 622838

l EDF

0808 101 4130

l EON

0800 051 1480

l N Power

0808 172 6999

l British Gas

0800 072 8625 or 0800 294 8604 (Prepayment).

l

Get information on help with keeping your home warm here https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator

For information on the winter fuel payment go here https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

The Welsh Government's NEST scheme helping reduce the number of homes in fuel poverty has information here http://www.nestwales.org.uk/

PANEL:

THE Warm Home Discount scheme is offered by the big six energy suppliers and for 2014/15 will provide a £140 discount on electricity bills.

For those on prepayment meters, £140 will be credited onto your meter or sent via post office vouchers.

Core Group - The Core Group should automatically receive a letter from the UK Department of Work for Pensions by late 2014 or early 2015 and so on for each financial year. If you think you meet the qualifying criteria, but do not receive a letter, it is best to contact your energy supplier.

All households in receipt of the guarantee and savings element of pension credit should automatically

receive the discount.

Broader Group - Customers on means tested benefits or low incomes may also qualify for the Warm Home Discount under the Broader Group.

Each electricity supplier has different eligibility criteria for their Broader Group, so it is best to contact

the electricity supplier for Warm Home Discount approval.

Applications to the Broader Group are completed on a first come, first serve basis. Therefore, it is

important to get applications for the Broader Group in early for each financial year.

You can call Nest, on 0808 808 2244

to be signposted on to the Warm Home Discount, or alternatively call your energy supplier on the numbers below:

• SWALEC

0800 622838

• EDF

0808 101 4130

• EON

0800 051 1480

• N Power

0808 172 6999

• British Gas

0800 072 8625 or 0800 294 8604

(Prepayment)