GREEN CANDIDATE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN WITH PLEDGE TO INSULATE SUTTON FROM THE COLD AND THE COST

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Siân Berry, the Green Party's candidate for London Mayor, will visit Croydon on Friday (22nd February) to launch the London Assembly campaign of Green Party candidate for Croydon and Sutton Shasha Khan.

Sutton residents could see their fuels bills slashed under a Green Mayor with Siân Berry's plan to provide free insulation for all homes that need it.

Shasha said:

"At a time when Sutton residents are feeling their household incomes squeezed due to fuel price hikes and increased inflation it is clear to me that we need our homes properly insulated in order to save on heating bills and to cut CO2 emissions. Sutton households have one of the worst ratings for energy efficiency in London (1). Now that we are required to provide Home Information Packs when putting our houses on the market Sutton homeowners could lose out when selling their house.

"There's no excuse in a 21st century city for having widespread fuel poverty, with people having to pay huge chunks of their income just trying to keep warm. There's no excuse for winter deaths of elderly Londoners who could have been saved by something as simple as loft insulation. And there's no excuse for government failure to cut CO2 emissions, or for their willingness to blame ordinary people instead of their own inaction.

"Under our plan, every single home in London that needs insulation will get it, free of charge. This will slash fuel bills, making London living more affordable and healthier. We'll also put a real dent in our carbon footprint and help to ensure a future for our kids."

Siân said:

"As oil and gas get scarcer, we can expect to see more and more rises in
the cost of heating. Londoners have an opportunity on 1 May to insulate
themselves from the cold and the cost by voting for my plan to insulate every
home that needs it for free

"40% of London's CO2 emissions come from housing, and more than 1 in 20
Londoners have to spend over 10 per cent of their income trying to keep warm.
Fuel poverty like that belongs in Dickens' London, not ours. That's why, as
Mayor, I would provide free insulation to every London home that needs it.

"Shasha will make a fantastic Assembly Member, and I know he will
tenaciously will push for important measures like this whether I win in May or
not. Green AMs have already used their power in City Hall to deliver free
insulation to some, but we need more Greens like Shasha to carry on and get free
insulation for all."

Londoners on benefits qualify for free insulation under measures introduced by the Green Assembly Members as a condition of their support for the Mayor's budget. Siân's scheme will remove this means testing, as well as introducing a comprehensive outreach programme to encourage take-up.

The Green AMs have also secured funding to pilot detailed help with paperwork for householders in Lewisham who wish to insulate their homes and generate their own power; Siân will extend this service city-wide, and make low-cost loans available to pay for small-scale renewable energy generation on homes and businesses.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Energy efficiency ratings for private housing in London are listed in the table below. Houses are rated on a scale of 0 – 120, with higher numbers being more efficient. Most new homes receive a score between 75 and 100. Table source: www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk.