We need to do more, says EUA on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day

Today, Friday 15 February, is National Energy Action’s annual Fuel Poverty Awareness Day. Fuel poverty is a pervasive and persistent issue that leaves millions of homes struggling to afford to live in a warm home, and the Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) is calling on the government to extend and reform their approach to tackling fuel poverty.

Head of external affairs Isaac Occhipinti says: “More funding than ever is now required to lift households out of fuel poverty and cold, damp homes. We have long been calling for better-targeted funding for those who are most at risk from fuel poverty. Our first report on Fuel Poverty, Fuel Poverty- A Connected Solution, launched in 2017, found that by simply refocusing current government schemes to deliver first-time gas central heating systems in communities close to the gas grid, nearly 140,000 households could benefit from bill savings of at least £992 a year – a transformative amount for those stuck in the vicious cycle of fuel poverty.

“The latest Committee on Fuel Poverty report, published in November 2018, correctly recognised that ‘connecting low-income households to the mains gas grid can deliver considerable heating cost reductions when compared to electric heating.’

“Our a second report in 2018, Fuel Poverty: Ending the vicious cycle of vulnerability, revealed that cold homes kill over four times as many people as road and rail accidents every year, and nearly four times as many people as drug misuse.

“The statistics surrounding fuel poverty are alarming and should not be ignored. We all have a role to play. It’s time for government to listen to the facts and advice, and for the industry to get on with helping those hundreds of thousands of families who today juggle between heating and eating. We support Fuel Poverty Awareness Day and encourage others in our industry to get on board and give their thoughts to the government.”