Fuel poverty

A household in fuel poverty is defined by the Scottish Government’s 2002 Scottish Fuel Poverty Statement as ‘one that needs to spend more than 10% of its income (including Housing Benefit or Income Support for Mortgage Interest) on all household fuel use in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.’ The likelihood of a household experiencing fuel poverty is influenced by income, fuel costs and energy efficiency of the dwelling. Fuel poverty in Scotland and in Glasgow has been growing since 2002 due to increasing energy prices.  If energy costs continue to rise, fuel poverty rates will continue to rise, unless there are significant increases in income or improvements in household energy efficiency. It is estimated that all other things being equal, a 1% rise in energy costs will equate to 8,000 additional households in Scotland falling into fuel poverty.  On a pro rata basis this would equate to 1,000 households in Glasgow.  According to the Scottish House Condition Survey, in 2008,  25% of households in Glasgow were affected by fuel poverty, a higher proportion of households than in Scotland’s other major cities.  Since then, energy prices have risen by 23% with the current estimate for fuel poverty in Glasgow now at 33%.  Fuel poverty has serious impacts on health, particularly during winter.  Elderly people, those who are ill and the very young are particularly at risk.  Houses that are cold are also likely to be damp, and this can lead to the growth of moulds, which can cause respiratory symptoms including asthma.  The graph below illustrates the growing proportion of households experiencing fuel poverty in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee.  Levels in Glasgow are consistently higher than in the other 3 cities.

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