“Joined-up thinking” required to tackle fuel poverty

The government and the energy sector, as well as other agencies involved in the industry, need to adopt “joined-up thinking” in the fight against fuel poverty, one industry figure has said.

Will Marples, energy expert at uSwitch.com, responded to the latest figures from Citizens Advice – which revealed a 46 per cent increase in the number of people seeking help in this regard – noting that there are “no signs of a cohesive plan” to ensure the goal is met.

He added that the government has “got to get a grip” of the problem if it is to be successful in combating it and that uSwitch.com is in agreement with Citizens Advice that more needs to be done about providing information on energy efficiency to customers and the financial assistance that is available.

Citizens Advice’s chief executive David Harker recently stated that targeting the most vulnerable people should be the government’s – as well as energy suppliers’ – primary concern.

By Sarah Adie