Steep rise in fuel poverty

More than 11,000 households in Rochdale are living in fuel poverty — more than one in every eight homes across the borough.

Figures show 11,134 households (13%) across the borough are classed as living in fuel poverty — meaning they have to spend more than 10% of their income on fuel bills.

According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, 5,412 households are in Rochdale and 5,183 are in Heywood and Middleton.

The remainder are in Milnrow and Newhey covered by the parliamentary constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth.

Actual numbers of families suffering could be significantly higher given the massive increases in fuel prices last year.

Nationally, the overall number living in fuel poverty has reached five million households.

Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney said: “We recognise there is still a mountain to climb on fuel poverty because of significant increases in fuel bills and that’s why we’re determined to redouble our efforts.

“We will build on the measures we’ve already brought forward, including the £20 billion on benefits and programmes, without which 800,000 more people would have found themselves in fuel poverty.

“We plan to legislate to give new powers to the energy regulator to take action, make social tariffs mandatory not optional, and are planning new measures on energy efficiency targeted at the poorest.”

The figures come as spending watchdog the Audit Commission said winter fuel payments for pensioners are an unsustainable response to fuel poverty and should be reconsidered.

The Government’s £2.7 billion-a-year budget for winter fuel payments might be better spent on insulating and modernising the homes of pensioners who cannot afford to heat them properly, the report said.