Norfolk environmentalists calling for greater action on energy bills and insulation
Local people are invited to help create a community quilt, to highlight the local desire for action to be taken
Environmental activists are gathering in Norwich this afternoon- calling for greater action to reduce energy bills and improve insulation.
It's as part of the 'United for Warm Homes' campaign- where local people are invited to help create a community quilt, to highlight the local desire for action to be taken.
The event runs between 1 and 3pm and will being held at Norwich Arts Centre.
"The impossible choice between heating and eating"
Dr Sarah Eglington is from Norwich Friends of the Earth:
"There's just too many people that are facing the impossible choice between heating and eating, this year.
"They also have to deal with rising rent costs, food prices and travel costs. So they are just another financial pressure".
"The majority of household carbon emissions comes from our heating. Until we make some real progress in terms of helping people transition away from using oil and gas, there's just no way we are going to be able to cut these emissions.
"We just need a substantial shift in the heating technologies that we use now and a move towards renewable energy".
"Some people are just not turning the heating on at all now"
She told us about the findings of a survey carried out by the group:
"They found that in Norwich we have 18 fuel poverty hotspots. This is where neighbours have low incomes and high energy bills.
"These bills aren't expected to come down this winter, so it's going to be really tough for them".
"Some people are just not turning the heating on at all now. These people's homes must be incredibly cold and damp, they really shouldn't have to live like that.
"In Norwich there's about 50 thousand homes that are estimated as having poor insulation. It just makes them incredibly inefficient and expensive to heat"