FRIDAY (February 27) is Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, a national campaign that aims to highlight the reality of people living in fuel poverty - and solutions that are available to tackle the cold homes crisis.

Organised by the charity National Energy Action, it raises awareness of the problems facing local people who struggle to heat their homes affordably, and the role that energy efficiency can play in making their homes warmer, more comfortable, and cheaper to heat.

Fuel poverty is at crisis levels, with almost 4.5 million homes UK-wide experiencing life-threateningly cold conditions this winter, and society’s most vulnerable suffering as a result of being unable to heat their homes to the level needed to stay warm and comfortable.

It’s a serious problem, affecting almost 30 per cent of households in Wales according to NEA figures – which equates to 386,000 households living in fuel poverty.

The charity says that last year there were 1900 excess winter deaths in Wales, and 43 in Cardiff South and Penarth, and 30 per cent of these were attributed to cold homes.

Fuel-poor households in Wales typically need to pay £688 more than their more affluent neighbours to sustain a warm home, yet these householders are some of the most vulnerable, and on the lowest incomes.

For these people it really can be a choice of heat or eat – which is shocking in the 21st century. We can see from the huge rise in the number of people using foodbanks – here in Penarth, the Vale and Cardiff, and across the UK – that stark choices are being made as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.

This is despite the Tory/Lib Dem Government’s claims of a recovery – but it’s one which certainly hasn’t reached those on low incomes.

There are a range of actions people can take to make energy bills more affordable, including making your home more energy efficient and checking to see if you are eligible for discounts on your electricity bills or financial assistance with heating/insulation improvements. I’d urge anyone worried about meeting their energy costs to contact the independent Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.

In broader terms, politicians need to act too – because Britain’s energy market simply isn’t working for ordinary families and businesses. That’s why Labour will freeze energy prices so bills can fall but not rise, saving money for 27 million households and 2.4 million businesses. Just last month we challenged the Tories to back our plans to give the energy regulator the power to cut energy prices when wholesale costs fall, and ensure that the full reductions on wholesale costs are passed on to all consumers. The Government voted against our motion.