Fuel Poverty
A fuel-poor household is one that cannot afford to keep
adequately warm at a reasonable cost. The most widely accepted
definition of fuel poverty is a household that needs to spend more
than 10% of its income on fuel to heat the home to adequate
standard of warmth.
Causes of fuel poverty are complex, associated with deprivation,
unaffordable fuel prices, poor housing stock together with
inadequate insulation and inefficient heating systems.
Energy efficient measures can help reduce fuel poverty be
decreasing the amount of fuel needed to heat a property. By
reducing fuel bills the householder has more money to spend on
other necessities.
One of Rochford District Council's priorities is to address fuel
poverty and to improve homes to meet the Government This can be
done by improving heating and insulation measures.
Financial Help and Advice
There are grants available, if you are not eligible for a grant,
you can get help from the Energy Saving Trust (EST). Please also
see the Related Links section.