Fuel Poverty for Many Households – Energy Comparison News
According to the National Housing Federation (NHF), seven million people are living in fuel poverty this winter due to high gas and electricity bills.
The housing charity’s new survey shows the latest figures suggest three million more people are living in fuel poverty than the government estimated. Many people are not heating their homes properly because they are concerned about the cost.
Fuel poverty is any household that spends ten per cent or more of their income on gas and electricity.
Chief executive of NHF, David Orr, said: “The spiraling cost of energy and the impact of the downturn mean heating our homes has become a luxury rather than a basic necessity – particularly for the elderly, low paid and unemployed.”
Over 60 per cent of people are “worried” about paying their gas and electricity bills, according to a YouGov poll undertaken in conjunction with the NHF research.
A recent article in the Times suggested that customers who took out a fixed energy tariff when wholesale prices were high could save money by paying the cancelation fee and shopping for a cheaper deal online.