New official estimates from Welsh government reveal 25% of all households in Wales (340,000) were in fuel poverty in October 2024. These are households unable to keep their home warm at any reasonable cost, needing to spend more than 10% of their income to adequately heat their home.
National Energy Action Head of Wales Ben Saltmarsh says, ‘Fuel poverty has deepened dramatically in recent years. Too many are living in cold homes, rationing essentials, and mired in debt – with grave physical and mental health consequences. Children are growing up in conditions that can damage their life chances for decades.
‘Paying over £1,700 a year for a basic utility isn’t normal – and in many parts of Wales it’s even higher, since north Wales faces the highest energy costs in GB and south Wales is not far behind. With some of the oldest and least efficient housing in northern Europe, keeping warm at home is simply unaffordable for hundreds of thousands.
‘Ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, today’s figures lay bare the scale of the challenge – but also the opportunity. With significant expected consequential funding from the UK government’s Warm Homes Plan, all political parties in Wales must commit to considerably increasing investment in energy efficiency should they form the next Welsh government. We can – and must – make the homes of those most in need warmer, greener, and healthier places to live.’
National Energy Action also recommends:
- The next Welsh government maintains the provision of emergency crisis support, including help to top up prepayment meters and purchase off-gas fuel such as oil and LPG.
- The UK government provides deeper energy bill support in future for people who cannot afford a warm and healthy home.
- The energy regulator, Ofgem, supports low-income and vulnerable households to help repay their energy debt. Much of this debt was accrued during the height of the energy crisis and has no realistic chance of being repaid without support.
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 Fuel poverty modelled estimates for Wales (headline results): as at October 2024 [HTML] | GOV.WALES. In October 2024, 340,000 households in Wales were estimated to be living in fuel poverty, equivalent to 25% of households. 63,000 households were estimated to be living in severe fuel poverty, equivalent to 5% of households. In 2024-25, the average household energy bill based on standard energy consumption was estimated to be £1,850. This is 37% higher than in 2021-22, when the average household bill was £1,360. Welsh government state that detailed analysis of its fuel poverty estimates will be published in October.
- Consumer energy debt has reached £4.15 billion, three-quarters of which is arrears with no payment plan https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/data/debt-and-arrears-indicators
- The UK government’s Warm Homes Plan – which aims to cut bills, tackle fuel poverty and accelerate to net zero – has received £13.2bn in backing from HM Treasury. This will include a significant Barnet consequential for Wales which NEA would like to see spent towards the same aim.
If this goes online, please link to https://www.nea.org.uk/energy-crisis/. We are on Twitter/X: @NEA_Cymru and Bluesky: @nea-cymru.bsky.social.