J
Jasmine Andersson
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A new map has laid bare the worst-hit areas for fuel poverty in England, with millions of households pushed into poverty as skyrocketing energy bills take hold.
A league table of the hardest-hit local authorities has been released by the End Fuel Poverty coalition, with families across the Midlands, London, and the north of England feeling the effects of the wholesale gas price rise.
The London borough of Barking and Dagenham is the worst affected according to the rankings, calculated through combining fuel poverty figures with the number of measures in place to improve energy efficiency.
The Midlands is the hardest hit, with five of 10 local authorities from the area topping the ranking, with Stoke-on-Trent dealing with the second-worst outcome, and Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Norwich following shortly behind.
Hull and Manchester complete the list, with no areas of the south of England outside of London making the top 10.
A map of the hardest hit areas leaves most of the south in the clear (Photo: Thomas Saunders)
But it’s not just inner city areas which are badly ranked in the figures, with Shropshire, Herefordshire and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk all struggling with fuel poverty.
Meanwhile Bracknell Forest, Runnymede and East Hampshire are among the areas least affected by fuel poverty.
The energy markets reached record highs in the past few weeks, creating some of the biggest winter fuel bills in years.
A direct debit customer will face an average increase in their bills of £139 per year.
The map has been released as the ongoing energy crisis could see fuel poverty becoming endemic in society, according to campaigners.
Rising wholesale energy prices could see the number of households affected soar from 4.1 million to 5.3 million. This would equate to more than a fifth – 22 per cent of all households in England – living in fuel poverty.
More than half of the public would support renationalising energy companies, a poll taken days after the crisis hit showed.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The latest rises in wholesale prices means that we face the possibility of more households facing fuel poverty than ever before. And with fuel poverty comes increased risks of suffering the worst effects of respiratory illnesses, such as Covid-19.”
“When combined with the increase in general prices caused by inflation and Brexit supply issues, we face the real possibility of fuel poverty becoming endemic in our society.”
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK , said keeping warm through the winter is “an annual challenge for older people on low fixed incomes.”
“It’s vital that older people keep the heating on as the cold can make many pre-existing health conditions worse,” she said,.
“To avoid the knock-on impact on the NHS, older people who are worried about making ends meet must have the confidence to keep their heating turned up when the temperatures drop, so they can stay well.
“The Government must provide support for households who are struggling the most. Longer term, we need to see greater investment in energy efficiency programmes, which will help lower bills, reduce anxiety for those in cold homes and protect people against any future surges in fuel costs.”
i has approached the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for comment.
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A league table of the hardest-hit local authorities has been released by the End Fuel Poverty coalition, with families across the Midlands, London, and the north of England feeling the effects of the wholesale gas price rise.
The London borough of Barking and Dagenham is the worst affected according to the rankings, calculated through combining fuel poverty figures with the number of measures in place to improve energy efficiency.
The Midlands is the hardest hit, with five of 10 local authorities from the area topping the ranking, with Stoke-on-Trent dealing with the second-worst outcome, and Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Norwich following shortly behind.
Hull and Manchester complete the list, with no areas of the south of England outside of London making the top 10.
A map of the hardest hit areas leaves most of the south in the clear (Photo: Thomas Saunders)
But it’s not just inner city areas which are badly ranked in the figures, with Shropshire, Herefordshire and King’s Lynn and West Norfolk all struggling with fuel poverty.
Meanwhile Bracknell Forest, Runnymede and East Hampshire are among the areas least affected by fuel poverty.
The energy markets reached record highs in the past few weeks, creating some of the biggest winter fuel bills in years.
A direct debit customer will face an average increase in their bills of £139 per year.
The map has been released as the ongoing energy crisis could see fuel poverty becoming endemic in society, according to campaigners.
Rising wholesale energy prices could see the number of households affected soar from 4.1 million to 5.3 million. This would equate to more than a fifth – 22 per cent of all households in England – living in fuel poverty.
More than half of the public would support renationalising energy companies, a poll taken days after the crisis hit showed.
Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The latest rises in wholesale prices means that we face the possibility of more households facing fuel poverty than ever before. And with fuel poverty comes increased risks of suffering the worst effects of respiratory illnesses, such as Covid-19.”
“When combined with the increase in general prices caused by inflation and Brexit supply issues, we face the real possibility of fuel poverty becoming endemic in our society.”
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK , said keeping warm through the winter is “an annual challenge for older people on low fixed incomes.”
“It’s vital that older people keep the heating on as the cold can make many pre-existing health conditions worse,” she said,.
“To avoid the knock-on impact on the NHS, older people who are worried about making ends meet must have the confidence to keep their heating turned up when the temperatures drop, so they can stay well.
“The Government must provide support for households who are struggling the most. Longer term, we need to see greater investment in energy efficiency programmes, which will help lower bills, reduce anxiety for those in cold homes and protect people against any future surges in fuel costs.”
i has approached the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for comment.
Continue reading...