Interactive fuel poverty map

With the release of fuel poverty data by the government, Politics.co.uk has visualised the way in which it is distributed across the country by parliamentary constituency.

Find out more about the percentage of households in fuel poverty in your local area, and how this compares to the rest of the UK.  Click here or on the image below to use the tool (launches in a new window):

(Politics.co.uk has used the current 2019 data to visualise the rates of fuel poverty in each of England’s parliamentary constituencies. The next set of statistics, using data from 2020, will be released in April.)

Map produced using the interactive constituency mapping tool, PoliMapper.

New fuel poverty data released

Fuel poverty data released today has increased concern over the impact of the rising energy prices.

While figures released by the government for 2020 shows a marginal decrease in the number of households living in fuel poverty, campaigners are concerned that the increase in energy costs since then means today’s figures will be much worse.

The report found only a minimal decrease in the number of households living in fuel poverty between 2019 and 2020. Despite improvements in the three key factors determining fuel poverty (energy efficiency, income, and energy prices) the number of households in fuel poverty only decreased from 13.4% to 13.2%. 

The report also found that England’s average fuel poverty gap in 2020 was £223. This is the reduction in fuel costs needed to list a household out of fuel poverty. 

Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said: “Today’s 2020 historic fuel poverty data shows just how significant the government’s failure to tackle fuel poverty has been.

“The impact of measures taken pre-pandemic has barely shifted the dial – and we know very little has been done since 2020 to change the picture.

“Indeed, the situation has become much, much worse.

“Estimates from charities working in fuel poverty consistently predict that more than 6m households in England are now in fuel poverty – due in part to the energy bills crisis.

“We need urgent help for households in fuel poverty now combined with a long-term plan to improve energy efficiency of our homes and a sustainable, renewable-led, energy mix.”

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition’s latest estimate is that 6.2m households (26.2%) in England will be in fuel poverty from 1 April 2022 as a result of recent price increases.