Winter Is On Its Way - Fuel Poverty

I try to get out and take a walk everyday, it is something I enjoy and helps to clear my head, and according to my doctor is good for me.

As I head out each day, and at different times as I can never get the same time free each day, I have noticed a change in the weather; well of course there is a change in the weather as Winter is approaching us.  I notice this not just in my choice of jacket to wear for my walk, but also the fact I have to put the heat on in the house now of a morning as it is a bit chilly.  This gets me to thinking about the past two Winters and how harsh they were.  It was bitter cold and snow and in my part of the world the ice was terrible, causing the roads and walkways to be treacherous. And of course with the coming of Winter is the coming of high gas and electric bills. 

The gas and electric companies have once again mentioned they will be raising their rates, so it will cost us more to stay warm and dry, again.  I say/write again, as this is what occurred last year as well; they raised their rates.My electric bill has well over doubled in the past five (5) years, and my gas bill has doubled in just three (3) years.  And I am a bit mean with the heat. So what about those on fixed incomes, actually we all are on some form of fixed income lately as I don’t know too many people getting pay rises or overtime or extra wages. This causes me to think about and hear more about fuel poverty.

Fuel poverty is where a house has to spend 10% of their income to keep their house in a satisfactory condition, meaning warm for one thing.

The factors that decide fuel poverty are the cost of the energy, the energy efficiency of the property and the household income. I read that in 2009 4 million households in England were in fuel poverty; this is 18% of all households.  This figure has been on the rise for years, as has the cost of energy. There have been studies done that break down the numbers of these households to if they are in rural areas, social housing as opposed to private landlords, and also if someone owns their own property or not. You can break it all down however way you wish, but the fact is the numbers are on the rise. Those on benefits can receive an emergency fund increase as help, but this is after the cold and weather has been severe for a defined period, usually a few days.  But from I have seen, the extra amount does not cover what could be spent on gas or electricity.

So once again, as Winter creeps in on us, let’s get out our fleeces and jumpers, and bundle up, not to go out and play in the snow, but to stay inside and not freeze.