Cart (0)
Fuel Poverty Monitoring
Fuel Poverty: Why It Matters
A warm, safe home is a basic human need. Yet for many households, the cost of heating and powering their homes is unaffordable— fuel poverty is putting them at risk of cold homes, poor health, and related challenges.
Our Role
We’ve been at the forefront of fuel poverty research in the UK since the concept emerged in the 1970s. Today, our team of experts develop advanced data tools and models to:
- Identify the causes and impacts of fuel poverty
- Support targeted policies and interventions
- Monitor progress and outcomes
Our insights help governments, local authorities and energy providers amongst others to make evidence-based decisions.
National Monitoring & Insight
We lead national-level measurement of fuel poverty for government, using housing survey data as the foundation. This ongoing monitoring:
- Tracks the scale of fuel poverty
- Provides benchmarks for progress
- Enables targeted resource allocation
We work closely with DESNZ to produce the annual fuel poverty statistics for England. These are accredited official statistics which meet the requirements of the Code of Practice for Statistics.
We also provide fuel poverty forecasts using advanced scenario modelling, factoring in energy efficiency improvements, income shifts, and fuel price trends—helping our clients to anticipate and address future challenges with robust insights. For example, our work creating current fuel poverty estimates for Wales and Northern Ireland based on previous survey data.
See the projections of fuel poverty we modelled for the Welsh Government
See the projections of fuel poverty we modelling for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Research and Development
BRE leads the way in advancing how fuel poverty is measured and understood across the UK. Our work combines deep expertise in national methodologies with innovative approaches to data analysis and modelling. We provide insights into how policies affect households, by modelling the impact on households of potential future policy or monitoring outcomes on the ground.
See more details of our work looking at the actual energy use of fuel poor households
See more of our policy development, research and evaluation work
Sub-Regional Fuel Poverty
Tackling fuel poverty requires action at a local level. We provide local area fuel poverty statistics to DESNZ for England, using models that estimate fuel poverty at a granular community level. This helps:
- Local authorities identify households more likely to be fuel poor
- Target energy efficiency programs effectively
- Monitor progress at community level
View the latest local area fuel poverty results we produce for England
Find out about how we can help understand fuel poverty for your area
BRE Insights
Read BRE’s view on the fuel poverty challenge in England here.