Over One Million Homes in Britain Now in Fuel Poverty

23rd December 2014

The Independent has today reported that there are now over one million homes in Britain that are in fuel poverty; according to official figures that have been released by the Labour Party.

“The number of English families in fuel poverty has climbed steadily over the last decade to reach 1,027,000. The total comprises 679,000 two-parent families and 348,000 single-parent households. Almost one in five families with children (18 per cent) are in fuel poverty in England, according to the latest statistics, with an average gap of almost £400 a year between a family’s energy bill and what it can afford ” the paper stated.

For the majority of homes in fuel poverty it can be blamed on a combination of soaring energy costs and a squeeze on incomes – either through employment or state benefit.

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NEA has deep concerns over the lack of funding for heating and insulation improvements to help the most vulnerable families over the course of this winter. I urge the Chancellor to release some of the billions of pounds that have gone into the Treasury this year from taxes and levies imposed on energy consumers.

Jenny Saunders, Chief Executive, National Energy Action

In November the National Insulation Insulation wrote a report, which now acts as an almost direct response to these findings and significant coverage which it has had in the national media, calling for additional funding for home insulation.