Heating poverty deadly for the elderly

Published on Tuesday 18 November 2008 08:47

AS winter weather begins to bite, bitterly cold temperatures, chilling wind and relentless rain bring on the usual inconveniences of coughs, colds and sore throats and, for some people, more serious health conditions such as bronchitis, influenza and hypothermia.

This winter many of Scotland's older people will be at even greater risk of winter ills as they have to choose whether to "heat or eat".

With the recent rocketing fuel and household bills this means that for many of Scotland's pensioners that stark choice is now a reality. Figures recently released by Age Concern suggest that as many as two-thirds (66 per cent) of pensioners are cutting back on the amount of gas and electricity they are using, more than half (52 per cent) are already buying less or poorer quality food, and 49 per cent are planning on cutting back their heating this winter because of fears about bills being higher than they can afford.

The growing perception amongst Scotland's older people is that they have to tighten their belts when it comes to gas and electricity and be more careful with their budgets than ever before. They fear not being able to cope with the bills and they may be right. Age Concern's research showed that one in ten of the poorest pensioners in Scotland had been forced into debt by the rising cost of living.

Energy Action Scotland estimates that for every five per cent increase in fuel bills, 40,000 more households fall into fuel poverty – where more than ten per cent of their income is being spent on fuel. More Scottish pensioner households than ever are now in this bracket – 44 per cent of older households are considered to be fuel poor, compared with 13 per cent of other households. As older people are likely to spend more time indoors as weather conditions deteriorate, they face an increased need to keep their homes warm and yet almost half of pensioners surveyed were planning to cut back on their heating this winter.

A separate survey for Help the Aged has shown that some UK pensioners may be forced to resort to even more extreme measures, as 4.5 million of them are planning to only heat one room and one in four is now staying in bed longer in order to keep warm, compared to one in seven last year.

These are frightening statistics in the run up to what is forecast to be an extremely cold winter, and also an appalling reflection of the sacrifices our older people are being forced to make.

Choosing to ration their fuel consumption in this way – by simply not heating their homes – can significantly increase health risks amongst older people and should be avoided. It is a bleak fact that this year's projected winter deaths total is a huge increase on last year's figure.

The Centre for Environmental Design and Research in Glasgow forecasts almost 4000 excess winter deaths this year – mostly of people over the age of 75 – it is clearly attributing this excess in winter deaths to the rising cost in fuel prices and the fact that many people cannot afford to heat their homes.

Cold weather affects everyone, but older people are particularly vulnerable to conditions such as hypothermia, which is caused by a decrease in body temperature. This may be related to their being less physically active, thereby generating less body heat.

Winter can see many older people withdrawing from social activities – this may increase where they are worried about "unnecessary spending" – this places a greater onus on families, carers and neighbours to keep good links and contact with older people.

Being unable to leave the house and experiencing less social contact can lead to a sense of isolation, which can increase the likelihood of depression.

In older people, depression often goes undiagnosed for a number of reasons but it is estimated that a quarter of people over 65 in the UK have symptoms of depression, which, if untreated, can lead to more chronic health conditions and even suicide.

In order to alleviate the financial worries associated with winter and fuel costs, there are some steps older people can take. They should speak to their energy providers about being put on their Priority Services Register so that they can receive the free services suppliers have to offer their vulnerable consumers, such as a free gas appliance and installation safety check.

Some energy suppliers also operate a social tariff which may reduce fuel costs (these may apply only to those in receipt of particular benefits or with certain types of meter, contact your own supplier for more information).

Older people can help to cut down their own fuel consumption by increasing their home energy efficiency. They can maintain good health by taking regular light exercise, having a flu jab as a precaution and keeping warm by wearing a few loose layers of clothing rather than one heavy item.

For more information about keeping warm, healthy and safe this winter, contact Age Concern Scotland on 0845-833 0200 to receive a copy of the new Hot Tips guide for 2008, which is available free of charge to older people.

David Manion is chief executive of Age Concern Scotland