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.