24,000 died due to cold homes last winter?

[poppet2]

This figure is incredible, but the fact that more elderly people die as a result of the cold in THIS country than in Scandinavia is shocking.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240716/24-000-died-cold-homes-winter-Fears-grow-figure-higher-year-spiralling-bills.html

 

"Britain experiences much higher death rates than countries in Scandinavia which have much colder winters but where there has been huge investment in insulating homes.

Maria Wardrobe, of fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, said: ‘The figures demonstrate that if you are a vulnerable person living in England or Wales then even a comparatively mild winter can still be deadly.

'Every single excess winter death is preventable'

‘The fact that our Scandinavian neighbours experience much harsher winters and have nowhere near the same level of winter deaths means that we should not accept this as inevitable."

[geared]

This figure is incredible

 

This figure is in the Daily Mail, and about as reliable as a politicians promises.

[poppet2]

This figure is in the Daily Mail, and about as reliable as a politicians promises.

 

And they got their figures from?...

Why don't you read the article before you post.

 

"The figures for ‘excess winter deaths’, published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics".

[Obelix]

This is exactly the same as the last thread on the subject. It's the Daily Whine going off again and not reading the figures and not understanding them

 

People are not dying from freezing cold homes. They die because it's winter, and there is an increase in influenza and related illnesses. The relationship between the two is complex and not well understood. For example you'd expect a country with warm winters to not have a problem at all - but Portugal has a winter death excess that is twice that of the UK....

[Mecky]

This is exactly the same as the last thread on the subject. It's the Daily Whine going off again and not reading the figures and not understanding them

 

People are not dying from freezing cold homes. They die because it's winter, and there is an increase in influenza and related illnesses. The relationship between the two is complex and not well understood. For example you'd expect a country with warm winters to not have a problem at all - but Portugal has a winter death excess that is twice that of the UK....

 

Probably brought on from not being able to afford to heat their homes

[jfish1936]

"Britain experiences much higher death rates than countries in Scandinavia which have much colder winters but where there has been huge investment in insulating homes.

‘The fact that our Scandinavian neighbours experience much harsher winters and have nowhere near the same level of winter deaths means that we should not accept this as inevitable."

 

Funny really! Most British homes are less comfortable in heat waves than are homes in Queensland, where high temperatures are normal (outdoor pool water temperature 34 deg C here today). We didn't need airconditioning, the house is designed to stay cool.

Britain has a temperate climate, so you are not prepared for the cold as Canada and Scandinavia are, nor are you prepared for weeks of temperatures over 30 deg C.

[avidcameron]

This figure is incredible, but the fact that more elderly people die as a result of the cold in THIS country than in Scandinavia is shocking.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240716/24-000-died-cold-homes-winter-Fears-grow-figure-higher-year-spiralling-bills.html

 

"Britain experiences much higher death rates than countries in Scandinavia which have much colder winters but where there has been huge investment in insulating homes.

Maria Wardrobe, of fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, said: ‘The figures demonstrate that if you are a vulnerable person living in England or Wales then even a comparatively mild winter can still be deadly.

'Every single excess winter death is preventable'

‘The fact that our Scandinavian neighbours experience much harsher winters and have nowhere near the same level of winter deaths means that we should not accept this as inevitable."

 

The article states that the cold contributes to deaths,suggesting other factors are at play.This means Maria's statement is wholly inaccurate.The Scandinavian countries are both richer and have a more equal distribution of wealth,making investment in insulation more feasible.

[Obelix]

Probably brought on from not being able to afford to heat their homes

 

Oh look Meckys speculating.... got any proof? Or does that get added to your list of unanswered questions?

[poppet2]

The Scandinavian countries are both richer and have a more equal distribution of wealth,making investment in insulation more feasible.

 

But you can only insulate so far. Victorian houses for example have high ceilings and big windows. Not everyone can afford the heat to evenly distribute in a small room with a high ceiling and large windows.

There are grants for draugh proofing but not grants for double glazing for the elderly in their own homes?

[Obelix]

Draught proofing is the easiest way of improving insulation performance. Payback time is a few weeks to a few months. Double glazing payback time is on the scale of decades.