Efforts to eradicate fuel poverty has stalled badly, new report shows

Leading charities have published evidence showing progress on fuel poverty has slowed across the UK.

Despite statutory commitments promising to eradicate the problem by successive governments, the UK Fuel Poverty Monitor, produced annually by National Energy Action (NEA) and Energy Action Scotland (EAS), says huge variations to UK policies have substantially hindered progress.

The publication reviews progress on the previous recommendations that have been made since 2010 and draws the analysis together within each country and at a UK level.

We hope the report will help all UK nations to now get the job done

Peter Smith, head of policy and research at NEA said that despite warning for years that a pan UK-wide approach to eradicating fuel poverty is a very distant prospect, in the last five years alone there are now over 500,000 more fuel poor households living in cold homes.

He added: “We hope the report will help all UK nations to now get the job done and end the unnecessary cost and suffering caused by fuel poverty once and for all.”

Norman Kerr, director of Energy Action Scotland said: “For over five years EAS has called on the Scottish Government to commit to a detailed route-map with targets and milestones for eradicating fuel poverty. The new Scottish Government must now act on this key recommendation. The report also calls on the new government to press on with the introduction of ambitious energy efficiency regulations for private sector homes.”