With analysts forecasting that the number of fuel-poor UK households could climb in the coming months, ELN looks at the scale of the ‘new pandemic’.

Stew Horne, Head of Policy at Energy Saving Trust talked about “huge numbers” of additional households experiencing fuel poverty.

Mr Horne said: “These are really extreme impacts on people. And we think that what that might mean in practical terms is that people are faced with choices between sort of heating their homes to a safe standard or putting food on the table.”

Mike Foster, Chief Executive Officer of Energy and Utilities Alliance estimated that from April the number of households living in fuel poverty will be approximately five million.

For Peter Smith, Director of Policy at National Energy Action the energy crisis has not only physical impacts, people with existing health conditions that might feel much worse living in cold but also a “huge mental toll”.

Speaking about potential measures that could hold the key to the problem, Ruth London, a Founder Member of Fuel Poverty Action told ELN that “there should be a level of energy that is free for everyone and that people should pay more for using over that amount.”

Click on the podcast to listen to the interviews.

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/01/28/are-we-all-living-in-a-pandemic-of-fuel-poverty/