Cold, damp and unsafe homes continue to cause shocking levels of unnecessary hardship and premature mortality. Across the UK, NEA estimates that on average more than 10,000 people die each year due to living in a cold home[i]. In England Wales where the proposals within this consultation will apply, excess winter deaths have risen by nearly 20% last winter.

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme currently provides a payment of £140 (inclusive of VAT) towards energy bills, and also contains provisions to carry out projects to help low-income and vulnerable households to better afford their energy bill. The scheme was introduced by the Government in April 2011 and is an obligation on energy suppliers funded through bills.

The evaluation consortium has been working together on evaluating the impacts of the Warm Homes Fund (WHF) over the winter of 2019-2020 and has heard first-hand of the very significant and positive effects that the funding has had on the lives of many families and households.

This briefing compares the state of the UK housing stock and fuel poverty levels with 15 other European countries. It concludes that no other country of the 16 assessed performed as poorly overall as the UK across the range of indicators. The UK has among the highest rates of fuel poverty and one of the most energy inefficient housing stocks in Europe.