- Stoke-on-Trent has the highest percentage of households living in fuel poverty at 14.8%
- It’s followed by Blackpool, Birmingham, Sandwell and Hull
- Birmingham has the highest total number in fuel poverty
Stoke-on-Trent still has the highest rates of fuel poverty in the UK, new government statistics have revealed.
Today, the UK government releases new data showing the levels of fuel poverty regionally in England in 2024. New analysis by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) reveals the areas with the greatest proportions of fuel poverty:
- Stoke-on-Trent (14.8%)
- Blackpool (13.9%)
- Birmingham (13.8%)
- Sandwell (13.5%)
- Hull (13.5%)
Birmingham is also the local authority with the largest number of households in fuel poverty, with more than 60,000 living under the poverty line in inefficient housing.
Matt Copeland, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at National Energy Action, says:
‘These figures show that fuel poverty is a reality in every part of the country, cutting across communities but hitting hardest where people have the least and homes are hardest to heat.
‘Just days after local elections, this is a stark reminder to new councillors of the pressures facing their residents. The Warm Homes Plan will be delivered locally, and its success will depend on councils prioritising those in the coldest, leakiest homes and on the lowest incomes.
‘Behind every statistic are households living in damp, unhealthy homes, worrying about bills and falling into debt just to get by. With energy bills likely rising in July as a result of the US-Israel conflict with Iran, we cannot look away.
‘We need targeted financial support now, a meaningful debt relief scheme for those trapped in arrears, and a Warm Homes Plan that genuinely delivers for fuel poor households. Without sustained, long-term action to tackle the structural causes of fuel poverty, this will remain a crisis in plain sight for years to come. With the right choices, it does not have to be.’
The data is released today but has a time lag of almost two years, and there are also limitations to how the data is calculated. It is based on the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator. This takes into account household income, energy requirements and fuel prices but those in homes with an EPC rating of C or above are not counted as fuel poor, no matter their income or energy costs.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- National Energy Action (NEA), is the national fuel poverty charity, working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to improve the lives of people in fuel poverty. We directly support people with energy and income maximisation advice, and we advocate on issues such as the current energy crisis and the need to improve the energy efficiency of our homes. See: www.nea.org.uk.
- See the statistical release here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2026-2024-data
If this goes online, please link to https://www.nea.org.uk/energy-crisis/. We are on Twitter/X: @NEA_UKCharity and Bluesky: @nea.org.uk.