Families must not be left in the cold: Fix the Fuel Poverty Crisis!

Sign now to demand that the Government takes urgent action to ensure people don’t have to choose between heating and eating this winter. 

This means urgent financial assistance to those affected by the energy price crisis alongside rapid roll-out of programmes to improve the energy efficiency of homes.

Families must not be forced to choose between putting food on the table and heating their homes

The price of energy has sky-rocketed since the start of the year.

But while the newspapers focus on energy firms going bust, the real damage will be felt by ordinary Britons all over the UK.

Millions of people every year face the dilemma between heating their home and putting food on their tables. 

The poorest will be hardest hit by the energy price crisis

This couldn’t come at a worse time. The financial impacts of Covid-19 are still being faced by millions of people across the United Kingdom.

We are now well into ‘heating season’ - the period where we use the most energy - but this year UK households will be hit twice as hard as the price cap we pay for energy is going up from 1 October. This will make energy bills even more expensive and it will mean that we will see almost half a million additional households realise they can’t pay their bills.

At the same time, millions of people across the UK will also see a reduction in their incomes, as furlough winds down and the £20 uplift to Universal Credit will likely be taken away.

Northern Ireland is not covered by the cap but has not escaped the pain either. Consumers there are facing an immediate increase in gas bills of up to 35%.

This ‘toxic’ combination of higher prices and reduced incomes, will mean spiralling levels of debt, cold and unsafe homes, distress and anxiety as well as hugely unwelcome strain on our stretched health and social care staff.

And families in the cold have increased risks of suffering the worst effects of respiratory illnesses, such as Covid-19.

Help us call on the government to Fix the Fuel Poverty Crisis before winter strikes

There must be urgent financial support put in place to ensure people don’t have to choose between heating and eating this winter.

The government must also rapidly deploy programmes to improve the energy efficiency of homes - like providing insulation for social housing across the country.

Only through a combined package of measures can we prevent the autumn energy crisis leading to people entering a winter wilderness of poverty.

The government missed an opportunity to help those in fuel poverty this winter with a "bleak budget" and time is rapidly quickly running out for the government to act.

Our members

End Fuel Poverty Coalition is a broad coalition of over 20 anti-poverty, environmental and health campaigners, local authorities, trade unions and consumer organisations. Find out more about our members at http://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/who-we-are/

​If you want to support our work, one of our members is crowdfunding right now, just click here to support Fuel Poverty Action: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/fuelpovertyaction.

From all of us on the Coalition - thank you for your support on this campaign so far.