New government statistics have revealed there were 170 excess winter deaths in Wiltshire during 2013/14 with the high number of people living in cold, poorly insulated homes a strong contributing factor.
Even more worrying, provisional figures for last winter (2014/15) show a significant rise in preventable deaths across the region with 5,100 recorded in the South West. This suggests the 2014/15 figure for Wiltshire will be considerably higher when the full data is released.
Excess winter deaths are largely a result of people living in cold homes over the winter months. Rural parts of the county are disproportionally affected because houses are typically older with poorer insulation.
The shocking figures also highlight that 41,000 of the deaths in England and Wales last winter were people aged 65 or over, the highest level for 15 years.
In response, OFTEC, the trade body for oil heating, has teamed up with Age UK to help ensure households in Wiltshire are better prepared for the cold weather this winter.
A free ‘Keeping Warm This Winter’ guide has been made available online at oilsave.org.uk which provides information and advice for homeowners on staying warm including:
• Keeping the main living room heated to a temperature of at least 21 degrees
• Adjusting the timers on your thermostat as the weather changes
• Bleeding your radiators to ensure the heating system is running efficiently.
Importantly, with the weather expected to be particularly cold this winter, OFTEC is urging households to ensure they have their boiler serviced by a registered technician to avoid any breakdowns.
Malcolm Farrow, of OFTEC said, “Christmas is a very busy, and expensive, time of year and many households risk their health by turning down their heating to save money.
“Fortunately, the 36,000 homes in Wiltshire heated by oil are seeing the lowest oil prices in six years which means they can afford to keep their heating on for longer, unlike users of LPG and electric storage heaters who have higher energy bills. Last year’s excess winter death figures were not helped by an ineffective flu vaccine, which shows there is still much more that needs to be done to keep vulnerable people warm and well this winter. To help, we have produced a free advice booklet with Age UK.”
For more information and to download the free booklet, visit www.oilsave.org.uk
