Keeping warm in Winter is not just about 'setting fire' to a large part of your wage or pension, and keeping warm and staying healthy - in body and bank-balance, should be an all year round issue.
Something is being done somewhere, not much of a something and not country-wide either. The article linked to below gives some idea of what could and should be done on a much larger scale.
The people involved lay great store by the Green Levy, it is one source of funding open to them, and the use they put this tax+ money is a great step up from garish light bulbs.
One day soon, who knows, Councils will be able to begin building homes again. They MUST build smart...
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/01/cutting-energy-bills-oldham-passivhaus
If you do not wish to tread the article, below is the site of one of the developers mentioned...
http://www.keepmoat.com/