January 2007

Dear editor

As fossil fuels begin to get scarcer we can all expect our fuel bills to rise. However, the district heating scheme's main source of fuel is the city's waste, burnt in the incinerator. This is supplemented by natural gas, but tenants are right to expect their increase to be lower than those of us who heat our houses entirely with fossil fuel ? £244 extra a year for the poorest section of our community is outrageous and will result in real hardship for many.

What is even more concerning is that many of Sheffield's homes are not well insulated. Even the much praised "Decent Homes" scheme is not ensuring that homes are warm and dry. New kitchens and bathrooms are no substitute for decent walls, roofs and energy saving insulation when it comes to paying the heating bill. So much precious energy is just being wasted, resulting in massive heating bills for those who can least afford it and more and more climate changing gases being released to the atmosphere.

A Green Council would prioritise insulation of homes to reduce our need to burn fuel. All new buildings should be built to the same high standards they use in Germany and existing stock should be upgraded to high insulation standards as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Graham Wroe
Sheffield Green Party