Fuel poverty jumped 1m

One million more households fell into fuel poverty in 2006 than 2005 – data released today show.

Even before the massive rises in fuel prices recorded in the last year, 3.5 million households faced spending more than ten per cent of their income on heating.

Last month estimates from uSwitch put the number of homes in fuel poverty now at 5.4 million and the National Housing Federation (NHF) predicted 5.7 million homes would be in fuel poverty by the end of 2009.

Since January 2008 the average dual fuel customer has seen gas and electricity prices rise 43 per cent to £1,307.

The government said the rise in homes falling into fuel poverty between 2005 and 2006 was due to the 22 per cent rise in prices recorded over the period.

Speaking at the anti-poverty meeting in Edinburgh, George Henderson, chairman of the National Pensioners Convention Scotland, claimed nearly three million pensioners were in fuel poverty.

"Pensioners are suffering because they spend a higher proportion of their income on those items that are rising fastest," he said.

"The rising costs of household bills basics like heating, food and council tax, mean millions more older people could be using as much as 70 per cent of their income just to keep their house warm and eat a decent meal.

"That doesn't leave very much at the end of the week to enjoy life," he said
Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, has called on the government to follow up on its motion at last week's Labour party conference to cap gas and electricity prices.

"There is no justification for the high prices currently being charged. Somebody has got to get a grip," he said.