Fuel poverty
Fuel poverty - where a household cannot afford to keep warm - damages the health of those living in cold homes and affects their quality of life. The old, children, and those who are disabled or have a long-term illness are especially vulnerable. The main cause of fuel poverty in the UK is a combination of poor energy efficiency in homes, low incomes and high energy prices. The Government has underlined its commitment to tackling fuel poverty through increased funding throughout the present spending round.
Grants for individuals
Grants are available for vulnerable private sector households to install energy efficiency measures, including central heating and insulation, under the Warm Front Scheme. Up to £2,700 is available for families and the disabled (up to £4,000 for the installation of oil fired central heating). Read more...
Latest news
Further information
Contacting Defra
If you want further information regarding fuel poverty and the Government's activity to tackle the problem, then you should first consult the pages indexed above. If you then need to contact us, Defra's Fuel Poverty Team can be contacted by e-mail at: fuel.poverty@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
Page last modified: 30 May 2008