What is fuel poverty?

Fuel poverty is defined as needing to spend more than a tenth of income on energy. People in fuel poverty are disadvantaged by three elements:

• Poor housing:            low energy efficiency standards, concentration in hard to treat housing
• Energy prices:           lack of participation, unfair payment methods, rising energy prices
• Low income:              fuel expenditure represents a much higher proportion of income

How does it affect people?

Fuel poverty contributes to a wide range of other problems, including poor health, reduced quality of life, poor educational attainment, social isolation and debt.

Last winter, over five million households in the UK struggled to heat and power their homes and many older people, disabled people and families living on low incomes had to choose between keeping warm and putting food on the table. Every year over 20,000 more people die in the winter months than in the summer months, largely due to cold-related illnesses. Many more become ill as a result of living in cold, damp homes. 

What is the End Fuel Poverty campaign doing about it?

We have been campaigning for cheaper fuel for people on low incomes, so we welcomed the new Energy Bill. This will get energy companies to provide some form of ‘price support’ possibly in the form of an electricity bill rebate but it may only go to older people.

We consider it important that the Energy Bill allows for help in the form of a ‘social tariff’ and can be offered to a wider group who may need help such as families with children and people who are disabled or sick with long-term illnesses such as cancer.

In 2009, the End Fuel Poverty campaign supported the private members bill on fuel poverty put forward by Liberal Democrat David Heath MP. The Bill received support from MPs from all political parties with around 90 MPs attending the debate and there was a large amount of publicity across the national, regional and broadcast media. Unfortunately we needed 100 MPs to get the Bill onto the next stage and so it has not progressed.

Why are we hearing about this now?

Fuel poverty has grown considerably over the past five years, largely due to the dramatic rise in energy prices. The UK Government will not hit its target to end fuel poverty among vulnerable households in England by 2010 and is not implementing a wide enough range of polices to reach its target of ending fuel poverty by 2016 (the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Governments are similarly unlikely to meet their statutory targets).  The current recession and impact of low carbon policies will exacerbate the problem further unless action is taken

Do you have a solution to fuel poverty?

The End Fuel Poverty Campaign wants energy efficient homes, decent incomes and low cost fuel for low income households. Achieving high levels of energy efficiency can also help tackle climate change by slashing carbon emissions and help create a vibrant low carbon economy, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

We want the Government to:

1. Carry out a national programme to improve the heating and insulation standards of our homes such that they reach the standards of new homes built today
2. Commit to improving the homes of all low income and fuel poor households by 2016
3. Oblige fuel companies to provide cheaper fuel to low income and fuel poor consumers
4. Improve the incomes of low income households and make sure all eligible households claim the benefits and tax credits to which they are entitled
5. Compile a register of the energy efficiency standards of all homes in this country, as part of a detailed plan which shows how the Government will meet the pledges

Who is in the End Fuel Poverty Coalition?

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition is a growing group of nearly 30 organisations that campaign to end fuel poverty. These organisations represent people who are often the most vulnerable in our society including children, older people, people with disabilities, those on low incomes and people who are long-term or terminally ill.

The Coalition includes the Association of Charity Officers, Age Concern & Help the Aged, Association for the Conservation of Energy, British Energy Efficiency Federation, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Child Poverty Action Group, Consumer Focus, Compass, Counsel and Care, Disability Alliance, Federation of Private Residents Associations, Friends of the Earth, Furniture Re-use Network, GMB, Local Works, Macmillan Cancer Support, National Energy Action, National Pensioners Convention, the National Right to Fuel Campaign, NCT, SERA, Shelter, South West Action on Poverty, the Sustainable Energy Partnership, Turn2US, Unison and the Women’s Institute.

What can I do to support the campaign?

Write to your MP, your parliamentary candidates and your local councillors and tell them it is important to you that tackling fuel poverty is a priority for them. If you find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter then you can keep up-to-date with the campaign – click here  Join the Facebook group and Follow us on Twitter

Consumer Focus factfile

• The average energy bill is currently £1,239 per year, based on a medium user paying by standard credit
• Gas bills rose by 51 per cent last year and electricity by 28 per cent, yet they have only come down by six and eight per cent respectively this year
• Consumer Focus estimates that there are now likely to be around 6.6 million people in fuel poverty in the UK. This figure is based on recent fuel poverty estimates for England from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and assumes that fuel poverty rates have increased for the rest of the UK at the same rate as in England
• The UK Government set targets to end fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010 and all households by 2016. The Scottish Government by 2016 and the Welsh Assembly Government by 2010 for vulnerable households and all households by 2018