About 2.2million households are needlessly languishing in fuel poverty this winter after the Government failed to launch an energy ‘social tariff’ to help the most vulnerable in society, a number of UK charities claim.
At present, around one in eight, or 12 per cent, of people in the UK are suffering from fuel poverty, the findings suggest. This equates to 3.2million households, according to Age UK, which is working alongside the MND Association, Sense, Scope, Fair By Design and Mencap.
Around one in seven, or 15 per cent, of households in the UK with someone with a disability or long-term health condition, the equivalent of 2.1million households, are experiencing fuel poverty, according to the research.
Social energy tariffs have been phased out and replaced with the Warm Home Discount Scheme. However, not all households who got social tariffs are eligible for the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
Fuel poverty: About 2.2m households are needlessly languishing in fuel poverty this winter, charities claim
Richard Kramer, chief executive of Sense, said: ‘People with complex disabilities and their families are skipping meals and turning off their heating in the depths of winter, and shockingly almost one in five households (18 per cent) have told us they’re cutting their use of vital equipment such as ventilators, feeding pumps and electric wheelchairs in a desperate bid to save money.’
Had an energy social tariff been launched this winter, giving people 50 per cent off their energy bills, the charities claim 1.4million people in a household with someone with a disability or long-term health condition would have been lifted out of fuel poverty.
The startling figures also claim that one in six older people are experiencing fuel poverty, equating to 1.6million households.
If a social energy tariff was in place, the charities estimate that 1.3millon people in this category could be lifted out of fuel poverty this winter.
An ‘energy social tariff’ is a discounted energy deal for those on lower incomes and with specific needs or vulnerabilities.
The implementation of a social tariff for particularly vulnerable households could potentially be targeted more narrowly than Government measures like Cost of Living Payments or Winter Fuel Payments.
The charities claim an energy social tariff ‘must automatically enrol eligible households’, be mandatory for all suppliers, and ‘complement existing consumer protections.’
Eligibility criteria should include recipients of income-related means-tested benefits, disability benefits, and Carer’s Allowance, the charities suggest.
Households without access to benefits or sitting just above the poverty line should also be eligible for energy social tariffs, the research claims.
Action: Age UK and other charities claim an energy social tariff would reduce levels of fuel poverty
Alex Massey, head of campaigning, policy and public affairs at MND Association, said: ‘This research paints a stark picture of the Government’s failure to support disabled people this winter.
‘Since the promise of a consultation on targeted energy support, people living with MND have collectively spent £2.5million on their electricity bills for using and maintaining medical and assistive equipment.
‘People are now taking drastic action with their own health and wellbeing – over one-quarter (28 per cent) have reduced their use of this equipment due to the inflated cost of energy. We call on the Government to urgently implement an energy social tariff to help the most vulnerable households cope with the high cost of energy.’
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: ‘In January 2024 about 3.4million over 60s reported their home was too cold for most, or all of the time.
‘It’s not acceptable that they are being forced to live in these conditions.
‘We need a permanent solution in the form of an energy social tariff to ensure they never face another winter of unmanageable bills. Energy is a basic essential and it’s time we treated it that way and ensure everyone can afford enough of it to stay fit and well, and to live decently.’
The charities used the ‘fuel stress’ definition of fuel poverty. This, the charities suggest, is defined as any household spending over 10 per cent of their household net income on domestic energy.
They added: ‘Our proposed energy social tariff is for households in the UK with one or more residents in receipt of at least one of income related means-tested benefits, disability benefits, carers allowance and/or living below or just above the poverty line to receive a 50 per cent discount on their energy bill.’
This is Money has asked the Government for comment.
