Fuel poverty still plagues Britain

Over 5 million UK households continue to live in fuel poverty despite government measures to tackle the issue, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced this week.

Recent falls in energy prices have had little impact, with the current average annual energy bill up by more than a third (36%) compared with January 2008.

During 2008, energy bills rocketed by £381.

Cuts to the price of energy since the start of this year average out at just £50 on an annual energy bill – bringing just 155,000 households out of the fuel poverty trap.

Research by price comparison uSwitch.com found that fuel poverty is no longer a “pensioner issue”.

Three in ten pensioner households live in fuel poverty, uSwitch.com said, but so do 20% of families with one income, and 17% of single person working households.

Tom Lyon, uSwitch.com energy expert, said the government currently has no “cohesive or well thought through plan” to tackle fuel poverty.

He urged the government to start engaging in “joined up thinking” that unites efforts by the energy industry, government policy, and regulators.

“If this Government is to stand any chance of tackling fuel poverty it has got to get a grip on the issue and it has got to do it now before further energy price rises push yet more households over the top,” Lyon added.

Households suffering from fuel poverty cannot afford to adequately heat their home during the winter months; they either have to live in the cold, or go into debt to pay their energy bills.