Fuel Poverty

Definition

Fuel poverty occurs when a household is unable to afford to keep their home adequately warm at a reasonable cost. In England, a household is considered fuel poor if its fuel costs are above the national median level and it has a residual income below the poverty line after paying for those fuel costs. While Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have slightly different definitions, they focus on similar factors, such as the affordability of energy costs and the energy efficiency of the home.

Also known as

Energy poverty, fuel deprivation

Relevance to OCSI

Fuel poverty is a critical issue in deprivation analysis, often linked to health inequalities, excess winter deaths, and regional disparities. It is measured through the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric in England and is one of many annually updated indicators in Local Insight.

Related links and examples


Author


Featured posts

Uncategorized

Interactive English Indices of Deprivation 2025 maps with the IMD explorer

The English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD 2025) have now been published…
More

Indices of Deprivation

Support for analysing and reporting on English Indices of Deprivation 2025

The English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD 2025) have now been published…
More

Indices of Deprivation

English Indices of Deprivation 2025

The English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD 2025) have now been published…
More

Case studies
Data analysis
Featured
Indices of Deprivation
left behind neighbourhoods
OCSI news
Research Projects
Resources and data
Uncategorized