The new sculpture is part of a campaign to highlight the millions of Brits struggling with fuel poverty
Skipton Building Society reveal ice sculpture of two-up two-down
A new ice sculpture, representing traditional terraced houses, has been unveiled in London to highlight the plight of millions of Brits grappling with fuel poverty. The three-metre-wide and one-and-a-half-metre-tall installation symbolises households left ‘frozen’ by skyrocketing energy bills.
The sculpture, exhibited at Borough Yards in London, is part of a collective campaign by Skipton Building Society, Age UK and National Energy Action to shed light on the escalating crisis impacting families across the country.
Sylvia Stoianova, programme director from the University of Bristol’s National Child Mortality Database, underscored the importance of warm, dry homes as a life-saving necessity, calling for ‘urgent’ action to address inequalities that leave both elderly people and young children exposed to hazardous living conditions.
She said: “Fuel poverty forces many families into impossible choices between warmth and other essential needs – causing avoidable suffering and, at times, loss of life.”
Sylvia also highlighted that a variety of serious health conditions in babies and children are linked to cold homes, including low birthweight, preterm birth, and delayed development. Insufficient heating can also lead to damp and mould, triggering respiratory problems and exacerbating asthma.
Meanwhile, Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, said: “Sadly, fuel poverty remains a huge problem for older households as around 1.1 million homes with a person aged 60 or over live in fuel poverty.
“Rising energy prices and inflationary hikes to basic daily essentials are already eating into low-income pensioner budgets, many of whom have few or little savings to fall back on.
“This campaign is shining a light on this crisis hiding in plain sight and giving us the opportunity to raise awareness of the support available for older people, and why it’s so needed.”
As part of the initiative, a survey was carried out involving 1,500 adults aged 65 and over. The findings showed that 42% are anxious about the winter with the cost of heating and energy bills at the top of their worries.
More than half expect that energy costs will put significant pressure on their finances this winter, and believe the situation will deteriorate further. Based on the research, 74% are concerned that energy bills will keep climbing in the coming years.
Michaela Wright, group head of sustainability at Skipton Building Society, which is promoting donations to the initiative online and across all its branches, said: “The situation is heartbreaking.”
She continued: “No one should have to choose between staying warm and affording life’s essentials. Yet our research shows this is the reality for far too many people.”
She outlined that they were collaborating with their charity partners, Age UK and National Energy Action, who had been selected by Skipton’s members and colleagues, not only to boost awareness but also to deliver practical assistance.
Beyond receiving a share of their 1% pre-tax profit as a charitable contribution, the charity partners are due to receive an extra £50,000 divided amongst them as part of the initiative, with the aim of delivering warmth and comfort to those most vulnerable.
Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, added: “Our mission is to ensure everyone can afford to live in a warm, healthy home.”