Fuel poverty

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on fuel poverty. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
04.12.2012	Smart meters
	Between now and 2019 more than 50 million new 'smart meters' will be rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller businesses in Britain. These are intended to allow consumers to see and adjust in real time what energy they are using. The Public Accounts Committee considers the challenges associated with roll-out 'huge'.
23.11.2012	Simplifying Energy Tariffs
	The complexity of energy tariffs makes it hard for consumers to get the best deal. In October 2012 the Prime Minister announced legislation to require energy companies to offer customers their cheapest tariff. This will be done in the Energy Bill 2012, expected before the end of November. These moves augment consultations and work that the energy regulator Ofgem has been conducting for some time now.
22.11.2012	Help with energy bills
	This note points towards sources of financial and practical help for constituents with domestic gas and electricity bills. It links to further sources for more information. It focuses on schemes that individuals can apply for, rather than local authorities or housing associations.
25.10.2012	Winter Fuel Payments update
	The Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free annual payment to help older people meet the cost of their winter fuel bills. The 'standard' rates are £200 per eligible household where the oldest person is under 80, and £300 for households containing a person aged 80 or over.
25.10.2012	Cold Weather Payments for winter 2012/2013
	Cold Weather Payments of 25 pounds a week are made to certain recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit during periods of very cold weather. To 'trigger' the payments, the average temperature at a specified weather station must be recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days.

Research Papers

Date	Description
13.12.2012	Energy Bill
	The Energy Bill [Bill 100 of 2012-13] seeks to implement 'electricity market reform' and through this achieve 'secure, clean and affordable' electricity supplies. The Bill was introduced to the Commons on 29 November 2012 and will have its Second Reading debate on 19 December 2012. A draft Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.
06.09.2011	Energy Bill [HL]: Committee Stage Report
	This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Energy Bill. It complements Library Research Paper 11/36 (Energy Bill) prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
04.05.2011	Energy Bill [HL]
	This briefing on the Energy Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading Debate in the House of Commons. The flagship policy in the Bill is the 'Green Deal', a scheme whereby homes would be given finance upfront to make energy efficiency improvements, which would then be paid for by energy bill savings. The Bill would also set up a new obligation on energy companies to help certain groups of consumers with saving energy, who need extra support. The Bill also introduces a range of other measures designed to improve energy efficiency; such as facilitating the roll-out of smart meters, widening access to energy performance certificates and making information on energy bills clearer. The Bill also provides measures designed to help improve energy security, to encourage low carbon generation and to grant additional powers to the Coal Authority to charge for certain services.
03.12.2009	Energy Bill. Bill 7 2009-10.
	The Bill would introduce: a carbon capture and storage incentive to support the construction of up to four UK demonstration projects, to be chosen in a competition; mandatory social price support to lower energy bills (social tariffs) for the most vulnerable, which would replace the current voluntary agreement which expires in 2011. It would also add ensuring security of supply and protecting consumers to the objectives of the regulator, Ofgem; increase the regulator's powers to deal with exploitation of electricity distribution constraints by generators; and increase Ofgem's power to fine companies. It would give the Secretary of State the power to ban cross-subsidy between gas and electricity accounts.
17.03.2009	Fuel Poverty Bill (Bill 11 of 2008-09)
	This Bill would bring in three measures: an energy efficiency programme to bring existing homes up to current energy efficiency levels; social tariffs to limit vulnerable households' exposure to high energy bills; and reinforcement of the legal duty on the Government to act to end fuel poverty.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
24.03.2010	Fuel Poverty.
	Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
27.04.2011	PRICE OF SOLID FUEL
	That this House notes many people struggled with their fuel bills this winter; further notes that the cost of solid fuel is often overlooked; and calls on the Government to create a ...
15.03.2011	FUEL PRICES AND DUTY
	That this House recognises that people and businesses are being hit hard by high and rising fuel prices; notes that uncertain world events, speculation and recent value added tax changes ...
26.01.2011	UTILITY CHARGES AND VULNERABLE GROUPS
	That this House calls on utility providers such as BT and electricity companies to re-assess decisions taken several years ago to impose additional charges on customers who choose not ...
13.12.2010	NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION CAMPAIGN
	That this House is aware that today in the UK five and a half million households are deemed to be living in fuel poverty, a situation made considerably worse by rising fuel prices; ...
07.09.2010	ENERGY SECURITY AND GREEN ECONOMY BILL
	That this House is aware that poorly insulated and heated homes make people ill, cost a lot to heat and contribute to climate change emissions; recognises that today in Britain over ...

POST Papers

Date	Description
25.05.2012	Assessing Energy Efficiency
	This POSTnote examines definitions of energy efficiency, looks at methods to measure and verify achieved energy savings and summarises UK and EU polices to promote energy efficiency.