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Fuel poverty `affects 5.4 million households`

21/11/2008

Fuel poverty affects around 5.4 million households in the UK and is a problem that is increasing in prevalence, it has been suggested.

According to Maria Wardrobe, warm homes campaigner for National Energy Action (NEA), the phenomenon is hitting more people from across all sectors of society and is a rising concern thanks to soaring fuel costs.

She said: "We have seen unprecedented increases in energy prices in this year alone; 44 per cent on gas and 23 per cent on electricity so the figures ... are very worrying."

Ms Wardrobe added that living in a cold home has a poor effect on people`s health, which could mean that consumers risk going into debt in order to avoid being too cold.

According to NEA, fuel poverty is defined as the need to spend more than ten per cent of total household income on fuel to achieve a comfortable living environment.

It typically affects poor and vulnerable groups, such as the sick, disabled and elderly, as well as single parent families.

More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant 16/12/2010 - According to R3`s quarterly personal debt tracker, more than 4 Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July 26/08/2010 - Consumers took on £2bn more mortgage debt than they repaid Debts called in by parents 26/08/2010 - According to research, `the bank of Mum and Dad` is Teenagers `scared of debt` 19/08/2010 - Nearly two thirds of teenagers are `scared` of debt, according