The Government published its official Fuel Poverty Statistics for England on 28 February 2023, showing 3.26 million households are in fuel poverty1. The release also shows the Government missed its interim target of getting fuel poor homes to EPC E by 2020, ahead of the statutory target for all fuel poor homes to reach EPC C by 20301.
National Energy Action (NEA), the fuel poverty charity, said it had previously warned the target would be missed by 150 years on current progress, and that based on the new figures it now estimates it will take 300 years to catch up1. NEA states this estimate is based on progress towards the target between 2019 and 2021, a period it uses because the number of fuel poor households rose in 2022 as a result of the energy crisis1.
NEA notes the data carries a one-year time lag. It says that last February the average annual energy bill was £1,271, that it is now £2,500, and that it is set to rise to an annual average of £3,000 from April1. Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, said:
"Over 3.2 million households in England are in fuel poverty according to Government data released today but the worst of the energy crisis is not represented, people being forced to self-disconnect, struggling with ice on the inside of their windows and living with damp and cold. And the situation will not get better. From April the average annual bill will rise from £2,500 to £3,000 and that means without Government intervention, both for energy efficiency measures and financial support with bills, the number in fuel poverty will continue to rise."
The statistics show 160,000 low-income homes are in EPC F or G properties, having missed the 2020 milestone for all fuel poor homes in England to reach EPC E1. NEA says those households need to spend £1,785 more than equivalent EPC C homes to stay warm at current prices, an aggregate of £291m1. The charity acknowledges improvements over the last two years, including the introduction of the Home Upgrade Grant and increased funding for the new iteration of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4), but says the consultation on a scheme to start in 2023/24 called ECO+ has been deliberately constructed to help middle income households at the expense of low-income households, meaning 150,000 low-income households could be missed out1.
Polling by YouGov for NEA of 2,055 adults in Great Britain, carried out between 3 and 5 February 2023, found 85% support the UK Government providing financial support to low-income homeowners, 58% support help for middle income homeowners, and 80% oppose it for high-income homeowners1. Asked who should be prioritised for support to improve home energy efficiency, respondents named the elderly (40%), clinically vulnerable people (39%) and low-income households (32%)1.
Why it matters for households
The fuel poverty rate in England is measured against the cost of heating a home to an adequate standard, so the energy efficiency of the property is central to whether a household is counted as fuel poor. A home rated EPC F or G costs substantially more to keep warm than an EPC C home at the same prices, which is the gap the 2030 EPC C target is intended to close1. The figures published on 28 February 2023 describe conditions before the April 2023 price rise, so they do not capture the households NEA says are self-disconnecting or living with damp and cold1. For a household, the practical link between the property's rating and its running costs is set out in how much could be saved by improving a home's energy efficiency, and the home energy efficiency tool shows how a rating is arrived at. Free advice on efficiency and bills is available through Home Energy Advice in England, with equivalent services in Scotland and Wales.
What happens next
The average annual energy bill is set to rise from £2,500 to £3,000 from April 20231. The consultation on the design of ECO+ for 2023/24 has closed; NEA says the scheme as consulted on could miss out 150,000 low-income households1. The next set of official fuel poverty figures has not been reported.