The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) responded on 21 November 2022 to the Autumn Statement delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, saying the announcement is a starting point but that more immediate attention is required to reduce the threat of fuel poverty for struggling households1.
The institute set out its position in a statement from its chief executive, Kevin Wellman, who described the measures as a much-needed first step with substantial work still to be done1. The statement focused on households facing rising costs of energy, mortgages and food, and singled out those already at risk because of low incomes, poor living conditions, age or health concerns1.
"the announcement is just the start of a long journey for the economy, but more immediate attention is required to reduce the ever-present threat of fuel poverty for struggling households"
On the Energy Price Guarantee, the CIPHE said the EPG would be raised to £3,000 in the spring while being extended for another 12 months, and that domestic consumers face increases of 164% in just two years1. The statement also cited increases to taxes and a soaring inflation rate, asking where this leaves households already unable to pay more1. The institute warned that failing to stem fuel poverty would lead to more illness, greater pressure on the NHS and, in some cases, preventable deaths1.
| Item | Figure as stated by CIPHE |
|---|---|
| Energy Price Guarantee from spring | Raised to £3,000 |
| Extension of the EPG | Another 12 months |
| Increase for domestic consumers | 164% in two years |
The statement does not set out how the £3,000 figure would apply to individual bills, nor how the 164% increase is calculated, and no further detail on either point has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
The CIPHE's figures point to the scale of the change in household energy costs rather than to any new support mechanism. A guarantee level of £3,000 from the spring, extended for 12 months, sets the framework within which default tariffs are capped, and the energy price cap determines how that translates into what a household pays. For a home trying to hold down its energy use, the practical effect is that the cost of each unit of gas and electricity remains the dominant factor in the bill, and the gap between a well-insulated home and a poor one widens as prices rise.
The institute's emphasis on households at risk through age, health or low income connects to the support routes that sit outside the price guarantee itself, including the arrangements described for vulnerable and medically dependent households. For renters, the condition of the property and who is responsible for heating and safety are governed by landlord duties on energy, heating and home safety, which affect whether a household can act on its own energy use at all. The wider policy picture is covered in the regulation and policy section.
What happens next
The CIPHE said the Autumn Statement must be a starting point and urged the government to acknowledge the situation for Britain's most vulnerable and take whatever steps are necessary to protect them against crippling costs1. The statement refers to the EPG being raised to £3,000 in the spring and extended for another 12 months, but no further dates or decisions have been reported1.