How many households are in fuel poverty?

In England, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) estimated that 2.36 million households (9.4%) were in fuel poverty in 2025, down from 9.9% in 2024, in its annual fuel poverty statistics published 26 March 2026. The 2025 figure is a projection that will be finalised in 2027.

England uses the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency measure: a household is fuel poor if it lives in a home rated band D or below for energy efficiency and its income after housing and energy costs is below the poverty line. The report also gives the share spending more than 10% of income on energy.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different definitions, so their rates cannot be added to England's. Sub-regional figures for England are in the fuel poverty collection. For household energy prices, see the energy price cap.

Official sources: DESNZ fuel poverty statistics · Annual fuel poverty statistics report 2026

The latest figure

The newest value is at Ofgem. More on it: Energy price cap (typical household).

When is the next figure out?

Ofgem sets the cap every three months and announces each level before the quarter begins; the level for 1 October to 31 December 2026 was announced on 26 August 2026. No machine-readable feed; unit rates and standing charges by region are on Ofgem's unit rates page

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE)
  The official measure of fuel poverty in England: a household with an energy efficiency rating of band D or below and income below the poverty line after housing and energy costs.
• Cash terms
  A money figure stated at the prices of the time it refers to, with no adjustment for inflation. Also called nominal terms.
• Real terms
  A figure adjusted to remove the effect of inflation, so amounts from different years can be compared by what they would buy rather than their face value.
• Headline figure
  The main summary number that a statistical release leads with, such as annual CPI inflation or quarterly GDP growth. Other measures in the same release can tell a different story.
• Great Britain and the United Kingdom
  Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. Some statistics cover only one or the other.

Where the figures come from

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics and Stat-Xplore
  Where to find DWP figures on Universal Credit, PIP, State Pension and Pension Credit, how to build a Stat-Xplore table and use the free Open Data API.
• International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and World Bank data
  How to check UK versus other countries claims with IMF, OECD and World Bank data: which database to use, PPP versus exchange rates, and data vintages.
• UK poverty and household income statistics (DWP, ONS, DESNZ, Low Pay Commission and devolved governments)
  Where to find official UK poverty, household income, inequality, minimum wage and fuel poverty figures, and how to check claims about them.

Related questions

• What is the energy price cap?
• How many people are in poverty in the UK?
• What is the National Living Wage?

This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about poverty, incomes and cost of living: all Poverty, incomes and cost of living questions.