The brutal reality of fuel poverty is becoming impossible to ignore. While politicians push ahead with expensive net-zero policies and energy corporations reap the benefits, millions of people—especially pensioners and low-income families—are left struggling to afford the basics of survival.
The Reality of Fuel Poverty in the UK
Recent reports show that 5.4 million households in the UK are now classed as fuel poor, with the worst-hit regions including Scotland, Northern Ireland, and North West England. Despite the UK boasting some of the most extensive offshore wind infrastructure in the world, ordinary people are seeing no relief in their energy bills. Instead, they are paying the price for hidden green levies, infrastructure costs, and policies that prioritize corporate profits over public welfare.
The crisis is especially severe among pensioners. Age Scotland has reported that winter deaths among elderly people have hit a 30-year high, with many dying in cold homes because they simply cannot afford to heat them. The government’s decision to remove the universal Winter Fuel Payment for all but the poorest pensioners has only worsened the situation. With temperatures dropping as low as -11°C in Scotland, thousands of vulnerable people are being forced to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table.
Why Are Energy Prices Still Rising?
While governments continue to subsidize unreliable and expensive renewable energy sources, household energy bills are climbing year after year. The public is being misled into believing that wind and solar will bring down costs, yet the reality is very different.
1. Green subsidies – A significant portion of household energy bills is made up of hidden charges to fund renewable projects, which often fail to deliver consistent and affordable power.
2. Gas boiler bans and heat pump costs – Policies forcing homeowners to switch from gas boilers to expensive heat pumps are adding thousands to household expenses, while providing less effective heating in cold weather.
3. North Sea oil field closures – The premature shutdown of domestic fossil fuel production means the UK is increasingly reliant on imported energy, driving prices even higher.
Who Really Benefits from Net Zero?
Despite the £3 trillion cost of transitioning to net zero, which will ultimately fall on taxpayers and consumers, energy corporations and private investors continue to make vast profits. Government contracts for offshore wind, solar farms, and battery storage projects are making billionaires even richer, while ordinary people are left to suffer.
Politicians, both in Westminster and Holyrood, seem determined to push ahead with their green agenda regardless of the consequences. Even as thousands of pensioners die from cold-related illnesses, the government refuses to rethink its strategy. The result? A growing backlash against net zero policies and increasing public anger at the hypocrisy of those who claim to be saving the planet while making life unbearable for the most vulnerable.
Time for a Change
The UK cannot afford to continue down this path. Instead of blindly pursuing net zero targets, the government must:
Prioritize energy security and affordability – Invest in reliable and cost-effective energy sources such as nuclear and domestic gas, rather than expensive, intermittent renewables.
Support pensioners and low-income households – Reinstate the universal Winter Fuel Payment and ensure that no one has to choose between heating and eating.
End corporate profiteering at the expense of the public – Stop using taxpayer money to subsidize inefficient green energy projects while letting energy giants make billions.
Until these issues are addressed, fuel poverty will continue to rise, and thousands more lives will be lost every winter. The pursuit of net zero should never come at the cost of human suffering. It’s time for a government that puts the people first, not corporations and ideological agenda
SAY NO TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR LAND 
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