Fuel poverty

The Energy Saving Trust supports the uptake of energy efficiency and microgeneration measures in order to reduce emissions from domestic energy use. Many of the energy efficiency measures we promote also help households save money. Our national marketing strategies aim to attract all households and we provide free advice to anyone who calls our advice line or visits our website. We refer people to fuel poverty support programmes and grant schemes and to the support offered by energy companies as part of their obligation under the carbon emission reduction target (CERT). As such, Energy Saving Trust activities play an important role in dealing with rising energy costs and helping to tackle fuel poverty.

There can be no single solution to the serious problems of increasing fuel bills and fuel poverty. As well as raising income levels, policy responses must deal with inefficiencies in the energy market as well as the continued linkage of wholesale gas prices with the price of oil. Measures which address the disparities in tariff rates between those paying by direct debit (and on internet tariffs) and those on pre-pay meters, must also be sought.

Over the longer term, the Energy Saving Trust believes increasing the energy efficiency of the housing stock is the most sustainable way of helping people manage the impacts of fuel price rises and tackling fuel poverty.