ODI fuel poverty survey shows young adults most hard up
Summary
The Open Data Institute (ODI) has published a report and an index showing the extent and depth of fuel poverty in England. It follows on from a similar ODI report into food poverty, which found that the North East of England and black families throughout the country are suffering the most. The West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber contain the highest proportion of households in fuel poverty (17.8% and 17.5%), while London and the South of England have lower rates (all below 12%). The index is presently restricted to England, but the ODI hopes to include data from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in future editions. “The better use of data could, for example, help planning for surges in demand on the NHS as people who are elderly, disabled or with pre-existing health conditions suffer from the complications of living in a cold, damp home.”