There is substantial evidence that demonstrates a connection between fuel poverty and poor health outcomes, but, despite the existence of numerous programmes designed to alleviate fuel poverty, its levels have not declined significantly. It is known that initiatives have often missed the most vulnerable households, in part because of inadequate data, but also because fuel poverty has multifactorial causes. Much activity is supported by locally based organisations and networks, but over the last decade the government has drastically reduced central funding, thus undermining their ability to

Fuel poverty is recognised by researchers as a major challenge for European citizens and their governments. However, individual countries have given the topic different levels of recognition, priority and resources on both an academic and a policy level. Comparisons between countries have been rare in the literature to date and may offer a valuable perspective.

Householders with disabilities or long-term limiting illnesses are known to be disproportionately at risk of being out of work, reliant on benefits and on low incomes. In addition, many disabled people use greater than average amounts of domestic energy, which is due to factors such as lower levels of activity and spending more time at home. An environment of rising energy prices and restrictions on benefits is likely to affect such consumers much harder and make domestic energy less affordable.

Obtaining appropriate data remains one of the core challenges in addressing fuel poverty. The development of national targets for eradicating fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions, along with centrally funded and directed programmes targeting fuel poor households and tackling substandard properties, has generated a demand for a robust but user-friendly evidence base from which those responsible for the delivery of schemes can develop their plans. In addition, in order for national government, the energy sector and researchers to review progress, a common system of measurement is needed

Historically, government initiatives to support the UK to move towards a low carbon environment have been resourced through levies on energy companies, which, in turn, have passed on the cost to consumers in the form of higher bills (referred to as ‘cost pass-through’). The introduction of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), planned for 2013, is intended to provide the finance for the Green Deal and other core fuel poverty programmes. Like earlier schemes, the costs may be transferred to energy consumers, but the nature of such impact is unknown.

The domestic energy market is heterogeneous and complex in terms of both suppliers and consumers. This means that ensuring the appropriate advice and guidance reach the relevant consumers is a challenge, but the dynamics are not understood in detail. This is essential if better policies and practice are to be developed, particularly for the proportion of consumers who are deemed to be vulnerable. It is also highly relevant for a number of reasons.

In 2009, the UK government introduced the Low Carbon Transition Plan (LCTP), which mapped out how the nation would move towards a renewable-energy-based and low-carbon system. While this programme offered the prospect of a significant improvement to the nation’s housing stock, it was unclear what obligations the domestic sector would have in meeting the financial liabilities for implementing this strategic vision. A proper assessment of the resources needed to fulfil the policies, alongside an evaluation of how the costs could be distributed, was essential.

There is a significant gap in knowledge of the winter activities of older people, both inside and outside the home. This is despite the fact that previous research has recognised that many older people continue to live in fuel poverty and that excess winter deaths disproportionately affect this section of the population. Understanding the types and levels of activity and their relationships to warmth, heating systems and temperature (both inside and outside) has considerable importance not only for energy research and the energy sector, but also for health and social care.

A significant number of domestic properties in the UK are classed as ‘hard to heat’. These are often older, solid wall houses, which present particular challenges for retrofit and other energy conservation measures. Earlier studies have outlined the nature of the problem and proposed ways forward. The introduction of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy in 2001 and improved awareness of the issues surrounding hard-to-heat housing have generated an increased focus on this challenge.

In 2001, Eaga Charitable Trust (CT) and the CSE held a national conference on rural fuel poverty. Following on from this, EAGA CT commissioned the CSE to undertake a review of the subject.

Low-income households are often placed at a disadvantage when paying for the energy they consume. Owing to limited or unstable income and debt, many cannot access the full range of payment methods suppliers offer to customers. Furthermore, they are often restricted to options such as prepayment meters, which charge more for fuel, compounding the effect of reduced choice.  

Domestic energy efficiency improvements are undertaken with the intention of reducing energy demand and consumption, since less fuel is needed to heat the house to a comfortable level. In doing so, it is assumed that this will reduce the amount households spend on fuel and deliver more affordable warmth. However, some of the ‘gains’ may be offset by a general increase in internal temperatures following improvements as householders use the monetary savings to fund warmer homes, a phenomenon known as ‘temperature takeback’.