Nov 30, 20222 min read

Demand to be Warm This Winter!

National Pensioners’ Convention members will be out in force at two major protests over the shocking cost of heating their homes this Winter.

The UK’s largest campaign group run for and by older people is supporting the End Fuel Poverty Coalition’s Day of Action in towns and cities* (including London) across the UK next Saturday, 3rd December.

A few days later, NPC Greater London Region will also stage a demonstration outside Parliament at 12noon on Thursday, 8th December – the day the latest Winter mortality rates are set to be announced.

Join UK-wide End Fuel Poverty protests

Sat, 3rd Dec

& NPC Greater London Winter Deaths Demo

Thurs, 8th Dec

NPC General Secretary Jan Shortt said: “No one should be dying from cold or living in fuel poverty in this day and age. That’s why we're rallying with the End Fuel Poverty Coalition in London, and in towns and cities across the UK on 3rd December to demand that everyone is WarmThisWinter. The NPC will also be staging a protest in Westminster when the Winter mortality rates are revealed on 8th December.”

“Without immediate action, 7 million UK households are facing fuel poverty this winter – and that number could rise to as much as 8.6 million after the price cap guarantee goes up again in April.”

The NPC Greater London Region demonstration starts outside Parliament at 12noon on Thursday, 8th December – details below - the day the annual Winter Deaths rates are due to be announced by the Office of National Statistics. In ‘20-’21 there were 63,000 excess winter deaths driven by cold and covid - up two thirds on the previous year. Many fear the numbers dying from cold related illness in ‘21-22’ will be much higher.

Jan said: “NPC members will be supporting the protests on 3rd and 8th December, so we hope as many people as possible can join us. This intolerable fuel price crisis is endangering lives and cannot be allowed to go on - we demand much more government action to stay Warm this Winter.”

§ Jan will be among public figures and politicians addressing the #Warm this Winter rally which starts from 10.30am on 3rd December at The Methodist Central Hall Westminster, Storey's Gate, London SW1H 9NH.

There will be teas and coffees served in the hall, and an Exhibition of testimonies by people about their own energy crisis stories, as well as the screening of a short Greenpeace film about the issue. People will be invited to help with a Scarf-Knotting to knot together 100+ orange scarves into one giant one for a photo protest at Parliament Square at 11am.

Everyone will then gather in Parliament Square at 11.30am with banners, placards, and the newly knotted giant scarf to wrap around everybody for a mass rally and further speeches.

To find out more about the rallies in London and across the UK on 3rd December – see list below* – visit:

www.warmthiswinter.org.uk/day-of-action

To find out more about the Winter Deaths Demo in London on 8th December visit:

www.npcuk.org/post/excess-winter-deaths-08-12-22

* Warm This Winter Rallies UK – 3rd December 2022