Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the need for financial support for those affected by fuel poverty following the end of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

The Government is committed to keeping energy bills as low as possible as part of a long-term, coherent and affordable policy framework. The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund was not specifically targeted at those in fuel poverty. We have a number of other policies that do target those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty including the Energy Company Obligation, the Central Heating Fund and Warm Home Discount. .

ECO has delivered more than 860,000 energy efficiency measures in over 700,000 homes with low incomes or in low income areas between January 2013 and the end of June 2015. It will continue to support a further 260,000 of these households each year to March 2017.

CHF recently awarded 20 projects across England a share of £25 million worth of government funding to install first time central heating systems in more than 7,000 fuel poor households.

Warm Home Discount provides financial support to over 2 million low income households each winter with a £140 discount on their energy costs.