"Heat or eat": how to help millions in fuel poverty | sponsored
The Politics Show
The New Statesman
4.2 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 22 May 2024
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Fuel poverty is on the rise with millions of households in England having to choose whether to “heat or eat”.
Last year, the Government estimated almost 9 million households could be classed as “fuel poor”. This means that, after housing costs, more than 10 per cent of their household income would be spent on heating.
Covid supply disruptions and the war in Ukraine have contributed to the problem alongside the UK’s economic crisis.
In this episode host Zoë Grünewald is joined by British Gas Energy Trust Chief Executive Jessica Taplin, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Rhondda Cynon Taff, Ashley Comley and Chief Executive Officer of Bromley by Bow Centre, Ellen De Decker. They explore reasons for the sharp rise in fuel poverty, what’s being done to support those in need and what needs to change to ensure Government funding gets through to those who need it most.
This New Statesman podcast episode is sponsored by The British Gas Energy Trust, an independent charitable trust funded solely by British Gas. The Trust offers financial support for vulnerable households and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The New Statesman. |
| 0:02.0 | Statesman. |
| 0:04.0 | Hello and welcome to this special podcast brought to you by the New Statesman Spotlight team. |
| 0:11.0 | We cover policy for those who shape it and the businesses it affects. |
| 0:15.0 | I'm Zowi Grunewald. |
| 0:17.0 | Nearly 9 million households in England could be classed as fuel poor, meaning they spend over 10% of their household income after housing costs on heating. |
| 0:30.0 | The number in fuel poverty has almost doubled since 2021 and COVID supply disruptions and the war in Ukraine have contributed to the problem. |
| 0:38.0 | But what's the solution? |
| 0:40.0 | Well I'm joined today by a panel of expert guests to discuss why fuel poverty is on the rise and what we can do about it. |
| 0:47.0 | This episode is sponsored by British Gas Energy Trust, an independent charitable trust established 20 years ago this year |
| 0:54.0 | fully funded by British Gas. |
| 0:56.0 | Joining me is their Chief Executive Jessica Taplin. |
| 0:59.0 | Also on the panel we have Ashley Comley, Chief Executive Citizens Advice, Ronda Cunantaff, and Ellie Dedecker, Chief Executive |
| 1:06.0 | Officer of Bromley by Bow Centre. Welcome all of you. |
| 1:09.9 | Let's start with you, Jessica. |
| 1:11.5 | Can you tell me a little bit about what's driving this |
| 1:13.2 | increase in fuel poverty? Absolutely it's very challenging actually there's |
| 1:17.4 | several key indicators you have dependency on gas imports you've got |
| 1:21.7 | our aging infrastructure in the UK you've got our aging infrastructure in the UK, you've got |
| 1:24.6 | transition to renewables, added to that the global market dynamics. You've also |
| 1:29.4 | got the industrial post-Covid bounce back and of course the war in the Ukraine. |
| 1:33.6 | So there's quite a complex picture when it comes to energy prices and the reason that's |
... |
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