The Government this week announced that the number of fuel poor households fell between 2012 and 2013. While this is a step in the right direction, there were still an estimated 2.35 million living in fuel poverty in 2013. This is unacceptable in today’s age and that’s why we’re working hard to play our part in driving this out of homes in the UK.
The issue is much more complex than energy prices alone but fair and stable prices have a big part to play. That’s why we’re addressing customer concerns about the cost of energy. We’ve cut prices twice in 13 months and unlike any other energy firm in the market we also guaranteed prices won’t go up before July 2016. Giving customers this certainty and peace of mind goes a long way when you’re budgeting for energy costs.
Bringing down bills has helped with the overall cost of living. Inflation has been falling in the UK with essential bills including energy and food coming down and incomes rising. This means households have a bit more money in their pockets at the end of the day which eases some of the pressures.
And households are starting to see the benefit. The number of customers worried about their energy bills has fallen significantly over the last three years to 35%. This is of course good news, but we must not rest on our laurels.
That’s why we are taking action to help in other ways too. Many households living in fuel poverty are working households. They’re people working hard every day but still struggling to make ends meet on the minimum wage. That’s why we believe in paying a Living Wage, ensuring that employees get a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work. We are still the only energy firm to adopt the Living Wage, not just paying it to our 19,000 staff but across our supply chain too.
Energy efficiency improvements are the most sustainable, long-term way to bring bills down. That’s why we’re helping households reduce their energy use and targeting this support at customers who need it most. In the last two years we’ve installed 210,000 homes with loft, cavity and solid wall insulation alongside other measures to keep the heat in and costs down.
The new Secretary of State can do more to help too. At the moment 10% of the average customer’s energy bill is made up of green taxes or levies. This is expected to rise to around £200 per average customer in 2020. This Government “charge” helps pay for vital schemes like Warm Home Discount, energy efficiency and renewable projects. But the stark reality is the very people they’re designed to help are the ones that struggle to pay this additional levy on the bill. It’s flawed and unfair. Removing it and paying for these schemes through general taxation would mean an instant cut in bills and give true relief to those struggling.
No one should have to worry about their bills. We can help and I would urge anyone that’s concerned to contact us on 0800 980 8831. There are things we can do to support you if we know there is an issue.
While a reduction in fuel poverty is a positive sign, there’s still a way to go and we all need to work together to keep tackling fuel poverty.