Recent data reveals that current policies to reduce fuel poverty in England have failed to maintain the downward trajectory of fuel-poor households seen in previous years. The Committee on Fuel Poverty’s 2024 Annual Report, titled “Can Fuel Poverty be Ended?”, paints a concerning picture of stagnation in the fight against fuel poverty.
Rt Hon Caroline Flint, Chair of the Committee on Fuel Poverty, has expressed deep concern over the lack of significant progress in reducing fuel poverty in recent years. Despite a decade of steady declines, Flint highlighted a troubling trend in the years following 2019, where fuel poverty levels in England have stagnated, failing to achieve meaningful reductions.
Flint remarked, “Governments from 2010 onwards saw levels of fuel poverty in England falling steadily for almost a decade – a reduction of 40%, only to be followed by 5 years from 2019 to 2024 where fuel poverty did not fall to any meaningful extent.” She also cautioned that the stability in energy prices during the 2010s may have created a misplaced optimism that fuel poverty would continue to decline, an assumption that has not held true.
Challenges and Recommendations
The Committee’s latest report outlines several challenges and offers recommendations aimed at reinvigorating efforts to combat fuel poverty:
- Measuring Fuel Poverty: The report calls for a review of the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric and suggests considering a “guarantee of affordable energy for all” in future fuel poverty strategies.
- Fabric First Approach: Advocating for a “fabric first” strategy, the Committee recommends focusing on improving household energy efficiency, particularly by prioritizing insulation, before incorporating low-carbon heating systems.
- At-Risk Groups: The report identifies private renters, ethnic minority households, and those using prepayment meters as the most at risk of fuel poverty. Over 900,000 households with children are also significantly affected.
- Data and Targeting: Better data sharing and more targeted interventions are recommended to effectively address fuel poverty.
- Private Rented Sector: The report warns that without improvements in energy efficiency in the private rented sector, efforts to end fuel poverty could be seriously undermined.
While acknowledging these challenges, the Committee remains optimistic that fuel poverty can be beaten. The report emphasizes the need for targeted financial support, possibly including social tariffs, for vulnerable and low-income households in the coming years.
Flint concluded, “This report argues that the Fuel Poverty Strategy requires a reset, a refresh and a new focus; we cannot afford to bear down on a problem which too many low-income households endure year on year.”
As energy prices continue to rise and significant numbers of households remain affected by pre-pandemic levels of fuel poverty, the report calls for renewed efforts to address the root causes of energy inequality in England. The Committee’s recommendations highlight the urgency of implementing effective strategies to ensure affordable energy for all and to prevent more households from slipping into fuel poverty.
