UK Government publish fuel poverty strategy Feb 12, 2021

The Sustainable Warmth consultation has come to conclusion, setting out how the Government will improve as many fuel poor homes as is reasonably practicable to a minimum energy efficiency rating of EPC Band C by the end of 2030.

The updated strategy includes extensions to ongoing fuel poverty schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation, the Green Homes Grant and the Warm Home Discount.

Through these schemes BEIS are continuing their 'worst first' strategy to improve the most affected residents classed as vulnerable on account of their property's efficiency or individual circumstances.

Changes to Government's fuel poverty strategy

• Expansion of the ECO scheme to £1 billion per year up to 2026 to continue the funding of heating and insulation measures to vulnerable residents.
• The continuation of the Green Homes Grant with £320 million to be invested in the scheme in 2022
• A more inclusive Warm Home Discount scheme to provide rebates to an extra 750,000 low income householders
• A further £150 million investment into the Home Upgrade Grant to support low income social housing residents off the gas network

BEIS have also announced that the basis for calculating fuel poverty, previously Low Income, High Cost, will be replaced with the following:

1. Has a residual income below the poverty line (after fuel costs) and,

2. Lives in a home below EPC Band C

The new calculation is expected to include an extra one million people living in properties with a rating of EPC Band D into the the fuel poverty bracket.

The full consultation proposal can be viewed here.

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