Fuel poverty
Whether a household is in fuel poverty is determined by the interplay of three key factors:
- the energy efficiency of the property
- the household income
- fuel/energy prices
Nationally, households living on low incomes, with dependent children, containing people with disabilities, and minority ethnic households, are more likely to experience fuel poverty.
Fuel poverty is also more common in rural areas of the UK, linked to the relatively low energy inefficiency of many rural homes, which tend to be larger, older, and more expensive to heat.[1]
As a relatively rural county, Herefordshire is exposed to several risk factors for fuel poverty linked to rurality, including below average earnings, a higher proportion of detached houses (40%) when compared to England (25%); a higher proportion (37%) of households not on the mains gas grid compared to nationally (15%); and a higher proportion (26%) of houses built pre-1900 than nationally (15%).
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero data show that in 2023, around 18.3% (c.15,400) of households in Herefordshire were in fuel poverty: a higher proportion than in England (11.4%) and the West Midlands (16.7), but a decrease from 19.7% (c.16,900 households) in 2022. Within Herefordshire, there was a wide variation in the proportions of households in fuel poverty, ranging from 6.6% of households in Belmont-Abbotsmead Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) to 34.9% in Greater Foxley LSOA.
Cold homes
There is a close link between fuel poverty and homes that are excessively cold. Research by the National Institute for Health Equity has found that cold due to fuel poverty exacerbates health inequalities.[2] Groups more likely to experience the health impacts of fuel poverty include older adults, children, and households containing people with chronic illness and disability.
Cold homes can cause and worsen respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, poor mental health, dementia, hypothermia and problems with childhood development, and, in extreme cases, have resulted in deaths.
In 2019, a Building Research Establishment (BRE) report (see related documents) found that 14,300 Herefordshire homes (17%) had an excess cold hazard, compared to 3% in England as a whole. Excess cold was more likely to affect owner occupied dwellings (20%) than private rented (16%) or social rented (4%) dwellings.
[1] Addressing the Unique Challenge of Fuel Poverty in Rural Areas, Rural Services Network, March 2023.
[2] : Alice Lee, Ian Sinha, Tammy Boyce, Jessica Allen, Peter Goldblatt (2022), Fuel poverty, cold homes and health inequalities. London: Institute of Health Equity.