The Committee on Fuel Poverty published its annual report on 26 June 2023, and National Energy Action (NEA) issued a response the same day. Adam Scorer, chief executive of NEA, said the UK has some of the least efficient homes in Europe and that the poorest households remain trapped in the worst conditions1.
NEA said more than 1.5 million low-income households live in the least efficient, most expensive to heat homes and are feeling the worst impacts of the energy crisis. The charity put the cost of staying warm for those households at around £4,000 to £5,000 per year1.
On England's legal requirements, NEA said all fuel-poor homes must be brought up to a reasonable standard of energy efficiency by the end of this decade, but that on current progress the target is over a century away. It added that the less ambitious sub-target to 2025 will currently be missed by over two decades1.
"The UK has some of the least efficient homes in Europe. The poorest households continue to be trapped in the worst conditions and continue to be exposed to higher energy costs and the terrible consequences of cold, mould and damp are damaging their health and well-being daily."
NEA also said the situation will continue to get worse later in 2023 without more help from the UK Government, and that many fuel-poor households in the least efficient homes are not receiving any cost-of-living support1. The annual report itself is not summarised in the response beyond the points above; its full contents have not been reported here.
Why it matters for households
The figures describe a gap between the stated standard for fuel poverty policy in each nation and the pace of delivery in England. For a household in one of the least efficient homes, the practical effect is that the cost of warmth stays high because the building loses heat faster than an efficient one, so more energy is bought for the same indoor temperature. That raises the running cost of the home and reduces how much control a household has over its own bills, which is the core of energy independence for a home.
The NEA assessment also indicates that the households least able to absorb higher costs are concentrated in the worst-performing housing stock. Where support is withdrawn or not received, the charity says the consequences include debt and living in unheated homes1. For anyone advising households, the relevant background is how fuel poverty is measured and which households fall into it, covered in the site's guide to fuel poverty in the UK, and the support routes listed under help for low-income households in England.
What happens next
NEA states that the position will worsen later in 2023 without more help from the UK Government1. No further dated steps, consultations or funding decisions are set out in the response.