Fuel poverty summit to be held soon

23 April 2008

Ofgem organises meeting to discuss how to help fuel poor

A summit, which will be attended by ministers and consumer groups, will soon be held to discuss how to get the poor and elderly out of fuel poverty.

Ofgem have organised the summit which will discuss how spending can be targeted to help those most in need.

After raising their prices this year, energy companies have agreed to input more money into schemes to help the four million Britons living in fuel poverty.

A household is classed as living in fuel poverty if more than 10% of the overall household income is spent on energy bills.

It is highly likely that the summit agenda will include discussions on the higher charges paid by those on prepayment meters – including around a third of those in fuel poverty.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: “The action taken so far is nowhere near enough to help those pushed into fuel poverty this year, let alone in the future.

“The government’s fuel poverty strategy is in disarray; ministers must pledge fresh action at the summit.”