Fuel Poverty

(asked on 4th April 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to reduce fuel poverty (a) in Coventry and (b) the UK.


Answered by
 Portrait
Claire Perry
This question was answered on 10th April 2019

Improving energy efficiency is the best long term solution to tackle fuel poverty. That’s exactly what we are doing through the new Energy Company Obligation scheme which is now entirely focused on low income and vulnerable households.

Since ECO launched it has delivered energy efficiency measured to nearly 2 million homes. In Coventry ECO has improved 14,565 homes, representing 10.4% of homes in the city, well above the average delivery rate of 7.2%.

Additionally, from 1 April 2019 strengthened energy efficiency regulations came into force for the domestic private rented sector in England and Wales. These regulations require landlords of privately rented homes with an energy efficiency rating of EPC F or G to improve them to a minimum of EPC E before letting the property on a new tenancy, or by 1 April 2020, whichever comes soonest. Approximately 42% of households in privately rented F and G rated accommodation are in fuel poverty. Improving these homes from F or G to E will save households an average of £180 per year on their energy bills.

In addition to energy efficiency there is a strong package of financial support. The Warm Home Discount provides a rebate of £140 off the winter energy bill for over 2 million low income and vulnerable households. All pensioner households receive a payment between £100 and £300 each winter through the Winter Fuel Payments. Additional payments of £25 are available for cold periods through the Cold Weather Payment. Also, the energy price cap protects 11 million households from poor value tariffs, saving them a total of £1billion, in addition to the 5 million households already protected.

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