October 2, 2008
Fuel Poverty figures rise by 1 million
Newly released Department of Environment statistics showed that fuel poverty figures had risen to 3.5 million by 2006. This represents an increase of around 1 million on 2005 figures.
According to general classifications a household is regarded to be in fuel poverty if its occupiers spend more than 10% of their income on gas and electricity. The government said that the huge increase in fuel poverty was the result of price hikes by power companies.
Minister for the Environment, Hilary Benn, stated that the soaring cost of energy bills has hampered the government’s ability to tackle the problem of fuel poverty. He added that government expenditure on energy saving measures and fuel poverty had totalled £20 billion since 2000.
Various charities and unions have said that gas and electricity prices are currently out of control and requested that the government take immediate action to cap energy bill prices. The government’s latest energy saving programmes also came in for heavy criticism.