The Issues of Fuel Poverty

The recommended temperature for your living room or main living area is 21 degrees and other rooms that are used or occupied should not fall below 18 degrees. Fuel poverty is defined when a household has to spend more than 10% of it’s income to maintain these temperatures.‹¯¨ As you would expect because of the lower temperatures, winter is the time of year when there are a higher number of deaths. However, in recent years, cold weather deaths in the UK have exceeded the number in our European counterparts such as Germany, Holland, France and Sweden amongst others. Independent Report On Fuel Poverty An independent report published in October 2011 and conducted by Professor John Hills from LSE has stated that almost 3,000 people die every year due to illnesses brought on by people’s financial inability to heat their homes satisfactorily. Professor Hills predicted that the problem would get worse and that these numbers could even rise and be compared with the number deaths due to road accidents. Hills argued that my people are caught in a vicious circle of heating bills. He claims they are having to spend out more to heat their homes because of the increases in fuel bills, at the same time making them even less able to afford to insulate their homes which would enable their homes to be more efficient. Increase In Fuel Poverty Hills found that in the 5 years between 2004-2009, the financial gap between people being able to heat their homes properly and falling into poverty had increased by around 35%, which led the Government’s Fuel Poverty Advisory Group to call it ‘disgraceful.’ With estimates that 3.3 million people were in fuel poverty in 2008, it looks a tall order for the Government to hit its target of eradicating households in fuel poverty by 2016, as laid out in the Warm Homes Act 2000. There are various options available to people struggling to afford to heat their homes. Many of the top energy companies are offering £150-worth of free cavity wall & loft insulation to those who meet certain criteria. Insulation is an excellent way to cut your heating bills. Having it in your walls and roof really cut down on the amount of heat that escapes. As warm air rises, it is estimated that around 25% of heat in your home can be lost through the roof, showing how important a well-insulated roof can be. This programme is really worth looking at to see if you qualify so for more info, have a look at this page. Trade Radiators Stocks Energy Efficient Radiators Installing efficient boilers and having adequate insulation in your home is vital to reducing your heating bills, but you can also do your bit by having the correct radiators installed around your house. Here at Trade Radiators, we have a great range of aluminium radiators, cast iron radiators and a load of other radiators to suit your need. All are made with energy efficiency in mind and you can be confident that our products won't be draining your homes’ energy supplies. ‹¯¨