Fuel poverty is the condition whereby a household cannot afford to heat (or cool) their home to an adequate temperature.

It is caused by low income, high fuel prices, poor energy efficiency, unaffordable housing costs, and poor-quality private rental housing.

In England, the ‘Low Income, Low Energy Efficiency’ indicator determines official fuel poverty. Under this measure, a household is considered fuel poor if:

They live in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below, and When they spend the required amount to heat their home, their residual income falls below the official poverty line.

The depth of fuel poverty is measured by the fuel poverty gap, which is the additional cost a fuel-poor household faces to be deemed non-fuel poor.

In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a household is defined as being in fuel poverty if it spends more than 10% of its income on fuel costs and if the remaining income is insufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living.

However, not everyone struggling with energy costs will be in technical fuel poverty. This page sets out the stark realities of Britain’s flawed energy system.

Fuel poverty will be resolved through a combination of financial support for affected households, energy market reform, improving home energy efficiency, and establishing a secure, renewables-led energy system. It will not be solved by plans for hydrogen-based heating systems or by continuing our reliance on fossil fuels.

For help and advice if you are in fuel poverty or worried about someone, please visit our resources section.

• 3.17 million - The official number of households living on a low income with poor energy efficiency in England in 2024 (as defined by Government targets). In 2023, 36.4 per cent of households (8.91 million) were required to spend more than 10 per cent of their income (after housing costs) on domestic energy, up from 27.4 per cent in 2022 (6.66 million).

• 32% - The proportion of households in fuel poverty who did not receive Government support in 2023/24 (CPAG / University of York).

• 7,409 - The average number of winter deaths caused by cold homes.

• Over half of low-income households still live in energy-leaking homes, with campaigners warning the rate of improvements is far below what is needed to eradicate fuel poverty by the 2030 target date.

• 1.8 million carers, 5.9 million low-income and financially vulnerable households, 3.6 million people with disabilities, and 1.6 million households in off-gas homes will be in fuel poverty from April 2023 (NEA).

• The majority of social workers report seeing the vulnerable people they support living in cold, damp homes, with this figure rising among children's social workers (Social Workers Union).

• Over 8 million adults will spend 2023/24 in cold, damp homes, exacerbating public health issues and increasing pressures on the NHS (Warm This Winter).

Average household energy bills have been rising since a low in 2020, currently being 60% more expensive than in winter 2020/21.

Read more about the Ofgem Price Cap levels and predictions for future energy bills here: Ofgem Price Cap

Around 15% of people are in energy debt (based on Opinium polling data for the Warm This Winter campaign, yet to be published) - equating to 4.4 million households. Vulnerable households and younger individuals are more likely to be in energy debt. Fewer than 5% of those in energy debt could be classed as refusing to pay, as their debt is aged and they have a high household income.

Ofgem data states that 2.5 million households are in energy debt, but the regulator only considers a household to be in debt if arrears are more than 90 days old. Official data also indicates that while the number of households in energy debt under these terms is slightly decreasing, the number of people without a repayment plan is increasing, suggesting the debt is becoming unsustainable.

Research by the Warm This Winter campaign found that almost one in five (18%) households in energy debt have turned to illegal money lending in the past 12 months. Among younger households in debt, the situation is even worse, with a quarter (24%) of under-35s and a third (32%) of those aged 35-44 turning to illegal money lending.