Archived press release

Government sued for fuel poverty failure

9 April 2008

Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged are today (Wednesday 9 April) taking the Government to court, for not doing enough to meet its legal obligation to eradicate fuel poverty. The two charities are campaigning for the Government to develop a far more effective and comprehensive programme of domestic energy efficiency, to simultaneously end suffering from fuel poverty and tackle climate change.

Despite the Government being legally bound [1] to eradicate fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010 and for all households by 2016, nearly 3 million households in England are still struggling to adequately heat their homes. The Government currently estimates that by 2010 there may still be 1.3 million vulnerable [2] households in fuel poverty - nearly the same number as at the time of the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy in 2001.

The two charities are today filing their judicial review application - the legal procedure used to challenge public authorities - with the High Court. Their case highlights:

• Government failure to provide a comprehensive and costed plan of action for meeting its targets;
• Government failure to set a minimum standard of energy efficiency to be applied to affected households;
• Repeated criticism of the Government from the independent Fuel Poverty Advisory Group [3];
• The Government's own admission that targets to reduce and eventually eliminate fuel poverty are likely to be missed.

Ed Matthew, Low Carbon Homes Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
"By failing to back the highest levels of energy efficiency in the homes of the fuel poor, the Government has missed an opportunity to both end fuel poverty and bring down carbon emissions. Its strategy is incompetent and lacks vision. Today we take the Government to the High Court to make it put an end to the misery of fuel poverty."

Mervyn Kohler, Special Adviser for Help the Aged, said:
"The Government's fuel poverty strategy is a fiasco and all too often, older people are the casualties. For those living in fuel poverty, the daily reality often means pain and misery, illness and even death.

"When fuel costs fell the Government was happy to take the credit for falling fuel poverty figures. Now that the energy market has changed and the importance of domestic energy consumption has grown, it must take responsibility for its inadequate and passive response."

Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged are calling on the Government to:

• Clearly set out how it will meet its legal obligation to eliminate fuel poverty, what the costs will be and how its plans will be funded.
• Establish a mechanism for accurately identifying all those households suffering from fuel poverty.
• Recognise that ensuring high levels of energy efficiency provides the key long-term solution to ending fuel poverty
• Set a minimum standard of energy efficiency for all households being treated for fuel poverty
• Set up low-carbon home zones in every local authority in the UK in areas where fuel poverty is concentrated. The fuel-poor households in these zones should be treated street by street, house by house to the requisite energy efficiency standard.

The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy require the Government to end the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable people by 2010, and to end fuel poverty for everyone by 2016. But the Government's own figures and a report from its official advisory group on fuel poverty predict that the 2010 target will be missed by a large margin and that the 2016 target is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

Vulnerable households include households containing old people, children and those with disabilities. Those households are particularly vulnerable to the effects of fuel poverty for a range of health and social reasons.

The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group's latest annual report (PDF† ) published in March 2008.

Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation, neglect and ageism. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. These are supported by its paid-for services and fundraising activities - which aim to increase funding in the future to respond to the growing unmet needs of disadvantaged older people. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

Friends of the Earth is the UK 's most influential environmental campaigning organisation. It is the most extensive environmental network in the world, with almost 1 million supporters across five continents and more than 70 national organisations worldwide. Friends of the Earth has a unique network of campaigning local groups, working in over 200 communities throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is dependent on individuals for over 90 per cent of its income.

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If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust