What’s the problem?

A household is living in Fuel Poverty when they cannot afford to heat their home. Officially this is when a household has to spend more than ten per cent of their income on making their home warm. Living in cold homes has a series of effects on illness and mental health, particularly for the more vulnerable such as older people, young children and those with existing ailments. It is estimated that 5.4 million people live in fuel poverty in the UK in 2011 and that this causes an additional 2,700 deaths each year. These are sometimes called “excess winter deaths”, and Britain has much higher levels than lots of colder European countries. On average, 18 per cent of winter deaths in the UK were “excess” compared to 10-12 per cent in typically colder countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway. According to the NHS, fuel poverty affects one in five households in Leeds.

This is an outrage. While people die in cold homes, the big six energy companies see their profits per customer rise by 733%.

Check out Friends of the Earth’s video showing how much the energy companies are giving back to the people of Britain:

This is part of the Friends of the Earth Demand Change campaign.

Fuel poverty is caused by three factors:

- low income
- high energy prices
- leaky homes i.e. poor insulation and energy efficiency

Homes in the UK are among the most poorly insulated in Europe, and since domestic energy use makes up around 30 per cent of UK carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency in homes must be part of the fight against climate change. Bringing the homes of those in fuel poverty up to standards used in building new homes would reduce their fuel bills by an average of 52 per cent and their carbon emissions by 59 per cent.

So, what is Tidal doing about this?

What can I do right now to help eliminate fuel poverty in Leeds?