AGE Concern in Okehampton is urging pensioners to send a Christmas card to their MP, Geoffrey Cox, asking him to back 'social tariffs'.

The appeal is part of a campaign to stop the less fortunate from having to choose between heat or food this winter.

The launch of this year's Christmas campaign comes just days after new figures revealed a 54.5 per cent increase in the number of deaths in the South West last winter, compared with the previous year.

The charity's chief officer, Barrie Duke, said rising inflation and soaring energy bills last year forced four in ten older people across the country to cut back on their heating to save money.

Mr Duke said: 'To prevent this from happening ever again, Age Concern North West Devon is calling on its local MP to use the energy bill currently going through parliament, to bring in a new system where older people on low incomes are automatically placed on the lowest tariffs available from their energy supplier.'

Mr Duke said a new system of social tariffs could help thousands of older people in Devon living in fuel poverty.

He said: 'Households are considered fuel poor when they spend ten per cent or more of their income on energy bills — thousands of older people will face the same cruel choice between eating and heating this Christmas.'

Mr Duke said more than a third of older households in the UK are living in fuel poverty.

He added: 'In a rural county that has few rural mains gas connections, it is iniquitous that consumers are charged extra for not being able to have gas and electricity supplied by the same supplier.

'Why do we as a nation allow utility companies to continue to grind the face of the poor?

'After dithering for far too long, MPs must now bring in mandatory social tariffs for older people on low income as a matter of urgency.'

With the average energy bill costing £1,026 at the start of the year, research shows that a cut of £100 would reduce fuel poverty by 45% and a cut of £200 would reduce it by 60%.

MP for West Devon and Torridge, Geoffrey Cox, said he backed Age Concern's campaign for a framework of social tariffs in the pricing of utilities.

Mr Cox said: 'I strongly support Okehampton Age Concern's campaign to introduce social tariffs to mitigate the impact of high utility prices on elderly pensioners and those on low incomes.

'These must be accompanied by clear information as to what tariffs are available.'

The MP, who said he had repeatedly raised the issue in the House of Commons, said action must be taken.

He added: 'Fuel and energy prices are an increasingly hard burden on pensioners and low income households, as their share of household income remorselessly rises.

'It is essential that everything possible is done to mitigate the effects on those who cannot afford to heat their homes adequately.'

Christmas cards are available at the Age Concern centre on Crediton Road and on the Age Concern and Help the Ages websites at http://www.ageconcern.org.uk">www.ageconcern.org.uk and at http://www.helptheaged.org.uk">www.helptheaged.org.uk