HC Deb 11 November 1998 vol 319 cc198-9W
Mr. Webb

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement of 3 November 1998,Official Report, columns 681–88, if he will provide a breakdown of his estimate of the savings made by (a) single pensioners and (b) the poorest pensioners on their fuel bills. [58991]

Dawn Primarolo

[holding answer 9 November 1998]The table provides a breakdown of the real term savings on pensioners' fuel bills between price reductions and winter fuel payments. The fuel bills include VAT.

Pensioners' real term savings on fuel bills: 1997–99
Savings from VAT reduction, regulation and competition1 Average winter fuel payment2 Total
Average pensioner household 62 46 108
Pensioner household on Income Support3 50 90 140
1 Assuming annual gas consumption of 18,000kwh, electricity consumption of 3,300kwh.
2 Weighted average, 1995 prices.
3 A lower gas consumption of 12,000kwh is assumed.