Fuel Poverty Awareness Day – 3rd December
This winter could be the one of the worst winter in years for energy customers. This is due to the recent sharp increase in prices and collapse of some energy providers. Even people who may have been more fortunate and not have ever struggled to pay their bills, may find they have a much tougher time this year. In recent years, those that are suffering from fuel poverty has risen dramatically. Let's learn more about what it means and how we can help.
What is Fuel Poverty?
Fuel poverty is defined as those with a low household income and a low efficiency rating in their home. Fuel poverty in England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different definitions) is measured by the Low Income, Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator. According to Gov.uk, under the LILEE indicator, a household is considered to be fuel poor if:
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they currently live in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below
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when they spend a set amount or more to heat their home, they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line
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There are three important elements in determining whether a household is fuel poor:
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household income
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household energy requirements – energy efficiency is a key driver of fuel poverty, as higher energy efficiency reduces a household’s fuel costs for a particular size of property
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fuel prices – the energy price cap, which keeps suppliers from setting their default tariff higher than a set amount, is largely determined by wholesale energy prices
Find more information about this on the official Gov.uk site. 
How Does This Impact the Country?
High energy costs, poorly insulated homes and low wages create a really tough situation for many homes across the country. Shamefully, these households may have to choose between food or heating this winter. This can lead to unsustainable levels of debt, stress, or illness. It is also known to be a contributing factor to increased rates of suicide. Fuel poverty is also a less direct impact on the economy too. It’s estimated that the NHS spends £1.3bn in England on treating illness caused by cold homes. With 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from housing. If households were supported correctly to improve insulation in their homes, then both fuel poverty and the UK’s impact on climate change would be greatly lessened.
How the NEA can help.
Over 4 million people in the UK live in fuel poverty, with over 10,000 people dying needlessly every year due to living in cold homes. The National Energy Action (NEA) charity has created a Fuel Poverty Awareness Day on December 3rd 2021 to draw attention to the issue. The NEA is a national organisation that is working towards ending fuel poverty for millions of people. They work in communities to advise people on how to save money on their bills. The NEA also campaign for advocacy and education on the issue. They also advise speaking to local MPs and the government on the issue to build awareness. If you’d like to read more about the NEA and their work, check out their website.
How Mr Central Heating can help.
At Mr Central Heating, we are doing our best to do our bit by keeping prices down and offering a range of energy saving packs. Exclusive to Mr Central Heating, and containing a boiler, a magnetic filter and a HomeScale Protect scale reducer. Our energy saving packs are great if you're looking to reduce the amount of energy being used at home. They're also a great way to reduce your heating bills. The government now offer home energy grants to those looking to upgrade to a more energy efficient boiler. With our energy saving packs you can save even more. You can find out more about these home energy grants on the Gov.uk site.
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