Frozen Homes: London Ice Sculpture Sends a Chilling Message on Fuel Poverty
A stark ice sculpture, depicting a row of traditional terraced houses, has been unveiled in central London, creating a powerful visual symbol of the fuel poverty crisis gripping millions of households across the UK. The installation, measuring three metres wide and one and a half metres tall, is designed to represent families left literally 'frozen' by unaffordable energy bills.
The Campaign and Its Champions
This arresting piece of art, on display at Borough Yards, is the centrepiece of a joint campaign launched by Skipton Building Society, Age UK, and National Energy Action. The initiative aims to thrust the escalating national energy crisis into the public eye. Sylvia Stoianova, programme director from the University of Bristol's National Child Mortality Database, lent her voice to the cause, stating that warm, dry homes are a life-saving necessity. She called for 'urgent' action to address the inequalities that leave both the elderly and young children dangerously exposed to cold living conditions.
"Fuel poverty forces many families into impossible choices between warmth and other essential needs – causing avoidable suffering and, at times, loss of life," Stoianova said. She further emphasised the severe health consequences for children, linking cold, damp homes to conditions like low birthweight, preterm birth, and delayed development, as well as respiratory issues and worsened asthma.
The Harsh Reality for Older People
The crisis is also biting deeply into the older generation. Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, highlighted the scale of the problem, revealing that around 1.1 million households with a person aged 60 or over are living in fuel poverty. "Rising energy prices and inflationary hikes to basic daily essentials are already eating into low-income pensioner budgets," Farmer explained, "many of whom have few or little savings to fall back on."
Supporting these concerns, a survey of 1,500 adults aged 65 and over conducted for the campaign found that 42% are worried about the coming winter, with heating costs being their primary concern. More than half anticipate that energy costs will place a considerable strain on their finances this winter, and a staggering 74% fear energy bills will continue to rise in the coming years.
A Call for Support and Action
Michaela Wright, group head of sustainability at Skipton Building Society, described the situation as "heartbreaking." She stated, "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." Skipton is encouraging donations to the campaign both online and in its branches.
In a significant financial commitment, the campaign's charity partners, Age UK and National Energy Action, will receive a portion of Skipton's 1% pre-tax profit as a charitable donation, plus an additional £50,000 split between them to provide practical support. Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, reinforced the mission, saying, "Our mission is to ensure everyone can afford to live in a warm, healthy home."
