Fuel Poverty Action Plan

The Mayor's Fuel Poverty Action Plan has now been published (29 June 2018). The plan includes revisions based on feedback from our public consultation.

Fuel poverty affects an unacceptable number of Londoners each year. It occurs when a household’s income fails to meet the cost of heating and powering the home adequately. It creates health problems ranging from poor mental health, to childhood asthma and excess winter deaths. The Fuel Poverty Action Plan sets out what the Mayor will do to tackle this problem.

Between 2013 and 2014, 69 per cent of the national increase in fuel poverty occurred in London. Fuel poverty in London remains very high, with more than 341,000 households affected according to the latest available data.

This Fuel Poverty Action Plan sets out what the Mayor will do to help lift Londoners out of fuel poverty, and overcome the health effects of cold, damp, draughty living conditions. It also explains what action the Mayor will take to improve collaboration and co-ordination among the wide variety of organisations that are working to tackle fuel poverty.

This plan identifies those areas where the Mayor can have the most impact. While the aim is to reduce fuel poverty for everyone, interventions will be targeted at those most in need. Proposed actions include:

1. Boosting the incomes of people in fuel poverty in London by supporting benefits uptake campaigns, referral services and programmes that provide direct advice and support to the fuel poor.
2. Increasing the energy efficiency of London’s homes so they are better insulated and use less energy.
3. Tendering for the delivery of an energy supply company, aiming to offer fairer energy bills to Londoners as soon as possible.