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OTHER ISSUE 1 ARTICLES: |
WORRIED ABOUT THE COLD THIS WINTER Last winter between December and March 55,000 elderly
people died from cold related diseases, according to new figures realised
by the Office of National Statistics. And according to ‘Help the Aged’
the main reason for this is poverty. While during the same months British
Gas made £664 million clear profits. It is a fact that pensioners will
go without food or heating in some of the coldest periods of winter, just
so they can beat off the fear of disconnection and pay their bills while
British Gas or Manweb continually reap the rewards and increase profit.
One example of the hardship pensioners face at the hands of energy companies
is the case of retired Minor Bill Gallagher. Bill froze to death in his
bed, because the £5 card he bought was not enough to reconnect his electricity
– Bill and his wife were £20 in debt. Albert Smith a retired postman expressed
what many pensioners feel ‘there is no point hiding the fact that I’m
frightened of winter’. Even despite the £200 heating allowance the government
will issue to pensioners, Bill feels it will still not be enough to heat
his house. |
