Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has chaired a round table for a scheme to tackle fuel poverty in Norwich.

The ‘Fuelling Connections’ scheme takes a novel approach to helping people in fuel poverty by setting up Facebook ‘tips’ pages. Research done by the scheme’s initiators and other programmes around the country have shown that using social media is one of the most effective ways of reaching people who are fuel poor.

The tips will be provided by various community organisations, charities, and local authorities to a local coordinator who posts them on to the Facebook page and works to make sure that awareness is raised on social media.

The meeting was well-attended with representatives of 16 local organisations with an interest in combating poverty present. A second meeting is being planned so watch this space with the great likelihood that a Fuelling Connections scheme for Norwich will go live in the near future.

Clive’s support for Fuelling Connections is a follow-up to his campaign last winter as a Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister to raise awareness of the issues faced by the approximately 37,000 residents in Norwich on prepayment meters. These issues included such residents on average paying £250 more a year in energy bills, and frequent self-disconnection by the elderly and vulnerable.

Clive Lewis MP says:

“As energy bills are set to soar and income security goes down, many of my constituents are increasingly living from hand to mouth, and too often needing to choose between heating and eating. ‘Fuelling Connections” innovatively uses the social media revolution to reach out to those in fuel poverty in Norwich.”