The official figures for the number of households in fuel poverty across the UK show that there was a decrease from 4.75 million to 4.5 million households between 2010 to 2011. The decline is hailed as significant because it occurred despite the fact that energy prices went up in 2011.
The explanation is that the installation of energy efficiency measures in homes and rising incomes more than offset the rise in energy prices.
In England the number of households in fuel poverty declined from 3.5 million to 3.2 million.
Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution, a major alliance of 140 national organisations calling on the government to use carbon revenue to make UK homes super energy efficient, said:
“This decline proves that making homes energy efficient can break the historic link between escalating fuel prices and the rising number of households in fuel poverty. But the Government is abolishing Warm Front this year, its only centrally funded programme dedicated to making homes energy efficient. Over the last three years the Government has cut in half the funding for making fuel poor homes energy efficient. This means that next year the official fuel poverty figures are likely to rise.
Our alliance calls on the Government to use carbon revenue to make homes super energy efficient. There is enough carbon revenue to help insulate every UK home in time. It can create 128,000 jobs, boost the economy more than any alternative government investment and end the scourge of fuel poverty once and for all.”
Contact:
Ed Matthew, Director of Energy Bill Revolution: Tel: 07827 157906 www.energybillrevolution.org
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