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Fuel poverty – a serious national problem

Highlighted in the last newsletter by uSwitch, fuel poverty continues to throw up a range of statistics and opinions.
Speaking about the recent fall seen in the 2010 fuel poverty statistics, Energy minister, Greg Barker was “encouraged by the fall in fuel poverty in the period to April 2011,” but added “there is no room for complacency. Fuel poverty remains a serious national problem and the coalition is absolutely committed to tackling it.”
Fuel poverty statistics for 2010 published by The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) show that the number of fuel poor households throughout the UK fell, year on year, from 5.5 million to 4.75 million.
England’s figure fell to 3.5m in 2010, projections for 2012 indicate this will rise to around 3.9m this year.
Professor John Hills of the London School of Economics and author of the Hills Fuel Poverty Review warns that the number of households in fuel poverty could rise to 9.2m or 43% of households. www.decc.gov.uk/hillsfuelpovertyreview
Greg Barker added: “People can still get help with heating and insulation through Warm Front, and around two million households will get money off their energy bills this year through the Warm Home Discount scheme.”
“Ambitious new policies” which include the Green Deal, “will help people pay for home improvements through savings on their energy bills, with extra financial help for the most vulnerable.”
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