Climate change campaigners from Harborough urge supporters to take part in day of action

Harborough climate change campaigners will be taking part in a day of action demanding solutions to lower energy bills.

United for Warm Homes campaigners will be among those at meeting to Highfields Community Centre in Leicester between 1.30pm and 3pm on Saturday November 18.

A spokesman from the group said: “Among those attending from Harborough will be Sustainable Harborough Community, Harborough Climate Action, Home-Start South Leicestershire, Jubilee Food Bank and Harborough eco churches. Campaigners are hoping that as many people as possible will gather at the centre to impress MPs with a grand show of support.”

The event will include stalls, refreshment, children’s activities and lobbying. A ‘community quilt’ which has been knitted by supporters from across Leicestershire will also be revealed.

Campaigners are calling for a rapid rollout of home insultation across the county, and financial support for those struggling to heat their homes.

It had led to a petiton calling on Leicestershire MPs to take action for warm homes, which has so far had some 1,400 signatures.

Recent statistics have revealed in Leicester and Leicestershire thereare 175 fuel poverty hotspots – where incomes are low but energy bills are above average.

More than 80,000 homes also have insultation with an energy performance rating of D, which campaigners say makes them inefficient and expensive to heat.

Zina Zelter or Warm Homes Leics said: “We are reaching out to our MPs and politicians this November to put an end to the cycle of spiralling energy costs and winters of hardship and to tackle climate change. People across Leicestershire and the world are suffering from fuel poverty and climate change and the solutions are clear.

“The reason we’re still no closer to addressing the root causes of our sky-high bills and rising global temperatures – our heat-leaking homes and reliance on costly gas - is a shocking lack of action from our political leaders.

“We’re gathering to call for a better future for everyone. To make this a reality, we must see the rapid roll out of a nationwide street-by-street insulation programme prioritising the areas that need it most – we hope that our MPs will back these vital measures.”