Affordable warmth

The current cost-of-living crisis means that more people are now being affected by poverty, and families who have been living comfortably are in danger of moving into poverty and fuel poverty for the first time. Energy costs are rising sharply and this coupled with energy inefficient homes is resulting in people being unable to afford to heat their homes to an acceptable standard.

Poor ventilation and living in a cold home can cause condensation and mould growth which can cause or have a negative impact on existing health conditions, as well as people’s comfort levels and enjoyment of their homes. People living in poverty can also find it difficult to benefit from the same life opportunities and education compared to others that are not. 

What is fuel poverty and who does it affect?

A household is in fuel poverty if they spend more than 10% of their income on fuel to heat their homes. Factors that can contribute to a household falling to fuel poverty are:

• Low household disposable income.
• Inadequate levels of household insulation – an un-insulated home can cost significantly more a year to heat than a well-insulated home.
• Efficiency of household appliances – particularly the heating system – replacing a 15 year old boiler will reduce a household heating bill by about a third.
• Under occupancy of property – this can results in extra energy being consumed to heat unused spaces.
• Time spent in the home – some people spend more time at home than others, for example the elderly, the infirm, the unemployed or families with small children. These people will need to have their heating on for longer periods than, for example households that are empty from 9am-5pm.

Fuel poverty can affect anyone at anytime but those that are most likely to suffer from fuel poverty include:

• Low income families who have to spend a high proportion of their income on energy
• The elderly or the infirm, in particular those living alone
• Young families, especially single parent families
• People suffering from long-term health problems
• Anyone who spends a large amount of their time at home and therefore have to heat it for longer periods.

 What are the effects of fuel poverty?

The link between fuel poverty and health has been clearly established with the following being the main issues of fuel poverty:

• Cold, damp housing has been proven to cause or exacerbate a range of health problems including respiratory and heart diseases, asthma, bronchitis and strokes. This places extra winter burden on the NHS, increasing hospital admission rates and preventing timely discharge.
• Excess winter deaths – every winter 20 to 30,000 extra deaths are recorded than in the equivalent summer period. 30 to 50% of these deaths are thought to be due to poor housing which does not provide adequate protection against winter weather.
• Reduced disposable income to buy other essentials such as food or clothing
• Mental health problems – a cold home can be an oppressive place to live and rising debt from energy bills can cause stress.
• Social exclusion – less money is available for social and recreational activities, and householders may not want to invite people into a cold, damp home.

How can we help?

If you think you may be suffering from fuel poverty or are underheating your house due to the worry of energy bills please get in contact with out Heat & Save Team on 01443 281136 or Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012. You can also find further information on our energy efficiency advice pages to find more information about how to keep your home warm and the energy efficiency grants available.