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Fuel Poverty: Rural Areas

Asked by Chris KaneLabourDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 18 March 2026UIN 119603

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of fuel poverty in rural and off-gas-grid areas in the last 12 months.

Answered by Martin McCluskey

Fuel poverty is a devolved policy area and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero produces official statistics on fuel poverty in England.

The latest statistics for England include trends for households off the gas grid (Table 5). This shows a reduction in fuel poverty rate for these households between 2021 and 2024 (the latest year available).

The latest publication also shows that 12.3% of rural households were fuel poor in England in 2024, compared to 11.0% of all households (Detailed Table 5). Results are also published for previous years.

The next statistics for England will be published on 26th March 2026. Statistics on fuel poverty in Scotland are published by Scottish Government here.

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