Act on UK fuel poverty with Save the children

Children shouldn’t need to wear hats, scarves and gloves in their homes in the Uk just to keep warm. But this winter, hundreds of thousands of children could be left in the cold if we don't act now.

Would you like to try and help?

Save the children are running a campaign asking all the big energy providers to give the poorest families with children under five a Warm Home Discount (a £120-a-year payment).

 Add your voice to our calls:

• Energy companies must give the poorest families with children under five in the UK the Warm Home Discount (a payment of £120 a year). Families with young children who are on low incomes should get this as a priority – just like other vulnerable people, like those on pension credit. 
• Energy companies must also make sure the poorest families get the cheaper tariffs. It’s not right that poorer families often pay more for their energy because they can’t get the best deals.
• The government needs to do more too, helping families insulate their homes and make them more energy efficient, reducing bills so they can afford to keep warm.
• The government must also recognise that boosting the incomes of the poorest families is still crucial to its fuel-poverty strategy. 

Here in the UK 1.6 million children are living in severe poverty. They’re going without basics like heating because their parents simply can’t pay the bills to keep their homes warm.

Joe and Wesley keep warm in their living room. Ness, their mum says, "I worry about putting the heating on, some weeks we can't top up the electric, only the gas." Photo: David Hedges / Save the Children

Save the Childrens' are asking us to sign their petition by clicking the link to  add your voice to our fuel poverty campaign  and filling in the form. It will take you less than a minute and it could help make a huge difference to vulnerable children by asking energy companies to put money aside so children in the UK aren’t left in the cold, help us make a difference.