The fuel price rises will mean people will not heat themselves so they can still eat.

People will die from the cold in the coming winter.

These are preventable deaths.

If we had gone all out for home insulation and renewable energy over the last decade we would have avoided this.

Properly insulated homes would cut bills by 90%.

Navitus Bay wind turbines off the coast of Dorset and tidal power from the Portland Race could give us cheap reliable energy.

All this would help people and the planet.

I note that in areas of deprivation like Melcombe Regis, people die 10 years before other areas. The fuel crisis will make this worse.

In my 35 years as a GP I have seen what happens in a cold snap.

It does not kill viruses (as the saying goes)– it kills people.

Councillor Jon Orrell

Weymouth