A CHARITY is calling on all political parties to tackle the problem of cold homes.

AGE UK North Yorkshire recently met with local prospective parliamentary candidates as it launched a campaign calling for major energy efficiency programmes.

The charity invited Leslie Rowe and Rishi Sunak, the respective Green party and Conservative party candidates for the Richmond seat and to take part in a seated exercise class with Beryl Larder for Age UK’s Cold Homes Week campaign.

A spokeswoman for AGE UK North Yorkshire, based in Northallerton, said: “Cold Homes Week is an awareness campaign to highlight the need for urgent action to help the many older people in Hambleton and Richmondshire who are risking their lives by living in a cold home.”

Age UK estimates one older person dies every seven minutes from cold-related illness during the winter months and many more become seriously ill due to living in a cold home.

It is calling on all political parties to make home energy efficiency and investment a priority and to make at least two million low-income homes much more energy efficient by 2020.

It claims this would not only result in warmer homes and lower bills, but could lift nine out of ten homes out of fuel poverty.