Fuel poverty is not determined by class or wealth but simply by the percentage of annual income a household must spend on energy to maintain an acceptable standard of living. This percentage currently stands at 10%. As the cost of energy increases more and more households are finding themselves fuel poor.
The government has today released their 2010 fuel poverty statistics and although the results seem encouraging the Association for the Conservation of Energy have released a concerning report which indicates that the government has immediate plans to cut the available funding for fuel poverty households by almost a third.
It is estimated that there are currently 6.4 million UK households in fuel poverty projected to increase to 9.1 million by 2016. The government’s budget for next year has been set at £540million which is a vast drop from the £4billion per year experts estimate is required.
The government’s decision to reduce the funding allocated to eradicating fuel poverty comes as a great disappointment and brings with it many concerns.
With energy prices reported to be on the increase the reduction in government funding will create barriers preventing companies like Nationwide Energy Services servicing the vulnerable households in need of energy efficient measures.
The funding available for households in fuel poverty enables Nationwide Energy Services to reach more customers and educate them about reducing their household expenditure through energy efficiency. Currently contacting over 15,000 UK homes per week and helping over 10,000 save money on their household bills, NES experience first-hand the detrimental effects of fuel poverty.
The Energy Bill revolution recognises that making homes energy efficient is the only solution to end fuel poverty and drive down the cost of energy but without substantial funding the situation will not improve as quickly as expected. To show your support please visit http://www.energybillrevolution.org/
Notes
Nationwide Energy Services is part of The Save Britain Money Group which is the parent company for, We Claim U Gain, Billscutter, Debts Reduced, Save Yourself Money, and Fuelswitch.com. The group provides a wide range of services to the British public including energy surveys and advice, cutting-edge solar installation, PPI claims, price comparison, insurance sales, fuel switching and much more.
Nationwide Energy Services Ltd is dedicated to helping home-owners and businesses claim the government grants available to make energy efficient upgrades to their properties. We aim to educate our customers about the benefits of green, renewable energy, help them to reduce their carbon footprint and in turn save money.
