The charity National Energy Action states that 6 million UK households will be trapped in fuel poverty as of April 2024, roughly 1.5 million more than in October 2021 – the beginning of the energy crisis. In England and Wales, there are more than 4,000 preventable excess deaths every winter due to cold homes, and fuel poverty causes an array of significant detriments to daily life, from financial anxiety to suffering health and wellbeing, strain in households, and hunger and malnutrition.
These outcomes can have significant consequences for both the individual and society as a whole. By understanding these issues through both human impact and social impact, the true gravity of fuel poverty can be properly understood. This research uses an SROI analysis to understand the social value created by people escaping fuel poverty and determined a total social value of £9,400 per person from being temporarily relieved from fuel poverty. In doing so, the significance of providing interventions to support the reduction in fuel poverty can be demonstrated.
