Key Facts
Fuel poverty is caused by a combination
of factors including:
o Energy efficiency and condition of
the home
o Fuel costs
o Household income
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Energy suppliers provide a great deal of help for vulnerable and fuel poor customers through social and discounted tariffs, rebates, energy efficiency advice and support and trust funds
This can be accessed through the Home Heat Helpline, funded by suppliers
The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy (2001) set a target for Government to seek to end fuel poverty by 2016 and take all vulnerable households out of fuel poverty by 2010. Both targets are unlikely to be met. |
The Energy
Retail Association recognises that fuel
poverty is a serious and complicated issue. Energy suppliers are committed to voluntarily spending £375 million between 2008 and 2011 on fuel poverty initiatives.
Energy suppliers will also spend £1.4 billion on energy efficiency schemes to help vulnerable customers over the next three years, as part of their obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target.
Although this aims primarily to reduce carbon emissions, the measures will also help fuel poor customers to reduce their energy consumption.
Fuel poverty is caused
by a combination of issues, including energy
efficiency of the home, fuel costs and household
income. The
Energy Retail Association is making sure
that the industry is doing its part to tackle
fuel poverty and support the Government’s
UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.
 The ERA launched the Home Heat Helpline (0800
33 66 99) in October 2005. It is a free
national helpline for vulnerable people
having difficulties paying their fuel bills.
The Home Heat Helpline offers callers advice
on cheaper payment schemes, grants for insulating
homes, how to get on to the Priority
Services Register for extra services and
information on extra government benefits
that customers may be entitled to. For more information
visit the website.
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Background Information
Energy suppliers recognise that they have
a responsibility to society and, in particular,
to vulnerable customers and the fuel poor,
the elderly, sick and impoverished. Suppliers
have worked closely with social services,
citizens advice bureaux and charitable groups,
such as Age Concern and Help the Aged to
consider the best way to help vulnerable
customers. Thousands of energy customers have been taken out of fuel poverty
through the efforts of energy suppliers
working with social welfare organisations.
The recent price increases
are having an impact on the number of people
likely to be in fuel poverty. For this reason, the
Energy Retail Association established the
Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99). This
is a dedicated helpline for people having
difficulty paying their electricity and
gas bills and is staffed by trained advisors
(e.g. ex-nurses, social workers).
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Tips on How to Keep
Warm
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If you
can, try to keep a temperature of 21ºC
(70ºF) in all the rooms you use during
the day.
If you can’t, at least keep your
living room warm throughout the day
and warm your bedroom and bed before
going to bed.
Keep your bedroom window closed at night
in winter; it’s when temperatures
reach their lowest.
Use an electric blanket OR a hot water
bottle in bed, but NEVER both together.
Many electric blankets are designed
only to warm the bed before you get
in; if yours is like that, turn it off
before you get into bed. |
If you have central heating, these tips
will help keep winter at bay.
- Set the thermostat at around 21ºC
(70ºF).
- If a room gets too warm, turn the thermostat
down.
- Set the timer to come on before you
get up and switch off when you go to bed.
- In very cold weather set the heating
to come on earlier, rather than turning
the thermostat up higher.
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Links
Money Advice Liaison Group
Keep Warm Keep Well from the Department of Health
National
Energy Action
Help
the Aged
Age
Concern
Gingerbread
Citizens
Advice Bureaux
WRVS
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