From The BBC:
Rising unemployment and higher energy prices are likely to push hundreds of thousands more homes into fuel poverty, a key government advisory body says.The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) says about 4m households in England are already in fuel poverty, spending more than 10% of their income on energy. And it has urged ministers to set out a detailed plan for meeting their own target of ending the problem by 2016. The government says it has spent £20bn on cutting fuel poverty since 2000. VulnerableOne of the key causes of fuel poverty is high energy prices. Average domestic fuel bills have increased by 125% over the past five years. The report warns that the long-term trend on prices is likely to be upwards, not least due to the huge industry investment needed to meet green energy targets. Unemployment is becoming a key factor too, the report added. The jobless rate is expected to hit three million in the next year and about 38% of those out of work are fuel poor.
The FPAG has…
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