Fuel poverty: Will the Government ever get a grip?

New figures out from the Citizens Advice Bureau reveal a surge in the number of people seeking help and advice regarding mounting household energy bills.

CAB has seen a 46% increase in the number of people seeking advice compared with the same time period last year. Most of these people are working, so the influx cannot be put down to rising unemployment.

According to uSwitch.com, the sharp increase comes as no surprise as there are now an estimated 5.2 million households now believed to be living in fuel poverty. And the fuel poverty net is spreading wider. uSwitch.com research shows that it can no longer be seen as a ‘pensioner issue'. While 30% of pensioner households are in fuel poverty so are 20% of families with one income and 17% of single person working households.

Facts:

Energy prices rocketed by £381 or 42% last year, but price cuts this year average out at £54 or 4%

In January 2008 the average household energy bill was £912. Today it is £1,239 - £327 or 36% higher

Last year's energy price increases saw fuel poverty rocket from 4 million to 5.4 million households - this year's cuts should pull 168,000 households back out of the trap

Will Marples, energy expert at uSwitch.com, says: "These figures from CAB reinforce the need for joined-up thinking from the Government, the energy industry and all the different agencies involved in helping to tackle fuel poverty in the UK. At the moment there are lots of groups working towards this aim, but unfortunately no signs of a cohesive plan to make sure that they meet the goal.

"If the Government is to stand any chance of tackling fuel poverty it has got to get a grip on the issue and it has got to do it now before the cost of huge investment in our energy supplies and infrastructure force household energy bills up even further and push yet more households over the top. As the number of households involved mounts, so the Government's statutory obligation moves further out of reach and the fuel poverty problem begins to look more and more insurmountable.

"We agree with CAB that far more work needs to be done around communicating to consumers about energy efficiency and the financial help that is available to them. At the moment, this is very patchy and, as a result, take up is very low. Clear information needs to be given to consumers so that they can cut the cost of their energy, reduce the amount they use and get the right financial help and support to which they are entitled. Tackling fuel poverty is a mammoth task, but getting the right building blocks in place is a good way to start."