Friday 27 November will mark Fuel Poverty Awareness Day 2020 and your support is needed more than ever to get key messages out to vulnerable people this winter.
Figures published by National Energy Action (NEA) state that around 4 million households in the UK are in fuel poverty, unable to live in a warm dry home.
Fuel poverty in England is measured using the Low Income High Costs (LIHC) indicator. Under the LIHC indicator, a household is considered to be fuel poor if:
- they have required fuel costs that are above average (the national median level)
- were they to spend that amount, they would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line
There are 3 important elements in determining whether a household is fuel poor:
- household income
- household energy requirements
- fuel prices
The energy efficiency of your home will also impact on your fuel costs and can be another factor contributing to fuel poverty.
If you are struggling to pay your fuel bills
For information and support on the following issues, the The Citizen’s Advice Bureau has comprehensive webpages:
- A problem with your fuel bill
- Struggling to pay your fuel bill
- How to switch energy providers
- Problems with your supply
- Problems with your meter (including pre-payment meters)
The following organisations and projects also provide information and support:
- Derbyshire County Council – Keep Warm in Winter
- Warmer Derby & Derbyshire
- Citizen’s Advice Derbyshire Branches
- Rural Action Derbyshire
- Derbyshire Community Hub
- The Money Advice Service
- Turn2Us
- StepChange
Derbyshire County Council has also produced the Healthy, Warm and Well Booklet for the general public.