Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vicky Foxcroft and Nusrat Ghani

Tuesday 17th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

25. What recent estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty.

[The Minister for Industry and Investment Security (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

The latest statistics, published in February 2022, show that 3.2 million households in England were fuel poor in 2020. Updated estimates are due to be published next month. Fuel-poor households can benefit from schemes including the energy company obligation, the local authority delivery scheme and the home upgrade grant, which will help them to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Vicky Foxcroft]

Today a group of nearly 100 charities and other organisations, co-ordinated by Scope, wrote to the Chancellor calling for a social energy tariff to help low-income and vulnerable older and disabled households to heat their homes. A survey for Age UK suggests that 24% of over-60s are living in homes that are colder than they would like, rising to 27% for older people with a disability. Will the Minister commit herself to giving serious consideration to targeted support for those groups?

[Ms Ghani]

As I listed earlier—I do not wish to test the patience of the Speaker—we have focused on targeted support, but I also remind the House of the local authority delivery, which is focused on low income households and those homes that need energy efficiency upgrades. They have a grant ability of £787 million to provide the support that is needed. That is on top of the £26 billion that I mentioned earlier for 2023-24.