Fuel poverty statistics show how energy affordability varies across England by income, housing, household composition and location. The official LILEE measure identifies households with low income after required energy costs that live in homes rated FPEER band D or below; most figures below are modelled estimates.
Key Fuel Poverty Statistics
The most broadly useful England fuel poverty statistics are:
- In 2024, 11.0% of England’s households, about 2.73 million households, were fuel poor under the LILEE measure.
- Between 2019 and 2024, the estimated number of fuel-poor households fell from about 3.2 million to 2.7 million in England.
- In 2024, the average fuel-poverty gap was £407 per fuel-poor household in England.
- In 2024, the aggregate fuel-poverty gap was £1.11 billion in England.
- Between 2023 and 2024, domestic energy prices fell 22% in real terms in England.
- In 2023, 36.4% of English households spent more than 10% of after-housing-cost income on energy under an additional affordability indicator.
- In 2024, 21.5% of private-rented households were fuel poor in England.
- In 2024, 7.5% of owner-occupied households were fuel poor in England.
- In 2024, converted flats had an 18.8% fuel-poverty rate in England.
- In 2024, single-parent households had a 24.7% fuel-poverty rate in England.
- In 2024, rural households had a 12.3% fuel-poverty rate in England.
- In 2024, off-gas-grid households had a 17.0% fuel-poverty rate, compared with 10.1% for on-grid households in England.
- In 2024, the West Midlands had the highest listed regional rate at 12.1% in England.
- In 2024, the South East had the lowest listed regional rate at 8.2% in England.
- In 2024, about 462,000 fuel-poor homes were rated E, F or G, including approximately 160,000 rated F or G.
- From 2014 to 2024, the share of low-income households in homes rated Band C or above rose from 32.9% to 59.5% in England.
Contents
- Fuel poverty scale and recent trends
- Energy costs, affordability and fuel-poverty gaps
- Fuel poverty by tenure and dwelling type
- Household composition and fuel poverty rates
- Regional, rural and gas-grid fuel poverty data
- Energy efficiency and fuel poverty outcomes
Fuel Poverty Scale and Recent Trends
England’s headline LILEE estimate was 11.0% of households, or about 2.73 million households, in 2024. The estimate requires both low income after required energy costs and an FPEER rating in band D or below. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
| Measure | Result | Period and scope |
|---|---|---|
| LILEE fuel-poverty rate | 13.0% | England households, 2023 |
| LILEE fuel-poor households | About 3.2 million to 2.7 million | England, 2019–2024 |
| LILEE fuel-poor households | About 2.73 million | England, 2024 |
The annual modelled estimate fell from 13.0% in 2023 to 11.0% in 2024, while the longer series reports a decline from about 3.2 million fuel-poor households in 2019 to 2.7 million in 2024. Rounded figures should not be read as more precise than reported. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024; Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
DESNZ’s modelled decomposition attributed an estimated 59,000 households moving out of fuel poverty between 2023 and 2024 to energy-efficiency changes. Income growth, partly offset by higher housing costs, moved an estimated 52,000 households out, while higher energy prices after rebates moved an estimated 42,000 households into fuel poverty; these are driver decompositions, not randomized intervention effects. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
Fuel Poverty Data on Energy Costs, Affordability and Gaps
The average fuel-poverty gap measures the modelled reduction in required fuel costs needed for a household to exit fuel poverty. It was £407 per fuel-poor household in 2024, down from £426 in 2023 in real prices, while the aggregate gap was £1.11 billion, down from £1.19 billion. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
| Cost or affordability measure | 2023 | 2024 | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average fuel-poverty gap | £426 | £407 | England, per fuel-poor household, real prices |
| Aggregate fuel-poverty gap | £1.19bn | £1.11bn | England, real prices |
| Domestic energy prices | — | 22% lower in real terms than 2023 | England price comparison |
The 22% fall in domestic energy prices is a price measure, not a measure of household bills. The average fuel-poverty gap fell 4% in real terms between 2023 and 2024. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
A separate affordability indicator counts households spending more than 10% of after-housing-cost income on energy. It rose from 17.2% in 2018 to 17.4% in 2019, 18.0% in 2020, 20.5% in 2021, 27.4% in 2022 and 36.4%, or 8.91 million households, in 2023; this is not the official LILEE definition and is more sensitive to energy prices. DESNZ annual report 2023 to 2024: Performance report
In 2024, median after-housing-cost equivalised income was £30,733 for all English households and £14,614 for fuel-poor households. Median equivalised required fuel costs were £2,242 for all households and £2,483 for fuel-poor households, while median FPEER was 70 for all households and 63 for fuel-poor households. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
Fuel Poverty Statistics by Tenure and Dwelling Type
Private renting had the highest listed tenure rate in 2024, at 21.5%, compared with 13.1% in social housing and 7.5% among owner occupiers. Owner-occupied homes represented 64.9% of all English households, so the largest tenure can still contain many fuel-poor households even with a lower rate. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
| Tenure | Fuel-poverty rate | Median annual fuel cost | Median income | Median FPEER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 7.5% | £2,370 | £36,800 | 69 |
| Private rented | 21.5% | £2,100 | £24,300 | 69 |
| Social housing | 13.1% | £1,940 | £19,000 | 72 |
The estimated 2024 counts were approximately 1.2 million owner-occupied fuel-poor households, 993,000 private-rented households and 535,000 social-housing households. The average gap was £472 for owner occupiers and £261 for social-housing households; the supplied official claim does not report a private-rented gap. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England; Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
By dwelling type, converted flats had the highest listed rate at 18.8%, followed by purpose-built flats at 8.0%; detached homes had the lowest listed rate at 7.3%. Purpose-built flats had median FPEER of 74 and median fuel costs of £1,800, compared with 69 and £2,080 for converted flats. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
Household Composition and Fuel Poverty Rates
Household circumstances are strongly differentiated in the 2024 modelled estimates. Single-parent households had the highest listed rate at 24.7%, while couples under 60 without dependent children had the lowest at 5.2%. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024; Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
| Household group | Fuel-poverty rate | Median income | Average gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-parent households | 24.7% | £17,400 | — |
| Couples under 60 without dependent children | 5.2% | £40,100 | £520 |
| One person under 60 | 13% | — | — |
| One person over 60 | 12% | — | — |
| Couples over 60 | 10% | — | — |
| Couples with children | 10% | — | — |
| Multi-person households | 10% | — | — |
The listed composition rates are rounded values from the official figure, and the average gap for couples under 60 without children measures depth among fuel-poor households rather than the group’s overall rate. Households with an unemployed household reference person were almost three times as likely to be fuel poor as the national average, an approximate comparison rather than an exact rate. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
By ethnicity of the household head, the 2024 fuel-poverty rates were 11% for White households, 12% for Asian households and 15% for Black households. Average gaps were £432 for White households, £285 for Asian households, £270 for Black households and £316 for Other including Mixed households; rates and gaps measure different dimensions. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
Regional, Rural and Gas-Grid Fuel Poverty Data
Final 2024 modelled regional rates ranged from 8.2% in the South East to 12.1% in the West Midlands. Yorkshire and the Humber recorded 11.3%, while the North East and East of England recorded 9.2% and 9.3%; London rose from 9.3% in 2023 to 9.6% in 2024. Sub-regional fuel poverty in England, 2026 report (2024 data)
| Local authority, 2024 | Rate | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Isles of Scilly | 17.3% | Highest listed |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 14.8% | Highest listed |
| Blackpool | 13.9% | Highest listed |
| Birmingham | 13.8% | Highest listed |
| Sandwell | 13.5% | Highest listed |
| Wokingham | 5.6% | Lowest listed |
| Bracknell Forest | 5.8% | Lowest listed |
| Surrey Heath | 5.8% | Lowest listed |
| Hart | 6.0% | Lowest listed |
| Eastleigh | 6.0% | Lowest listed |
The South West local-authority range ran from 7.3% in South Gloucestershire to 17.3% in the Isles of Scilly. These sub-regional figures are Official Statistics in Development and are small-area modelled estimates; they do not model the average fuel-poverty gap. Sub-regional fuel poverty in England, 2026 report (2024 data)
Rural households had a 12.3% rate in 2024, compared with 10.6% in semi-rural areas and 11.0% in urban areas. Rural homes had a median FPEER of 64, median floor area of 115 square metres and median fuel cost of £2,740, compared with the national median floor area of 85 square metres and FPEER of 70. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
Off-gas-grid households had a 17.0% rate compared with 10.1% for on-grid households. Their median fuel cost was £2,590 and median FPEER was 63, compared with £2,220 and 70 for on-grid households; these descriptive comparisons do not establish a causal gas-grid effect. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty Outcomes
Energy efficiency remains central to the LILEE definition and to the size of the gap. In 2024, 93.2% of low-income households lived in homes rated Band D or above, and 97.6% lived in homes rated Band E or above; these are energy-efficiency distributions, not the LILEE fuel-poverty rate. Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
The share of low-income households in homes rated Band C or above rose from 32.9% in 2014 to 59.5% in 2024. About 462,000 fuel-poor homes nevertheless remained rated E, F or G in 2024, including approximately 160,000 rated F or G. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024; Fuel Poverty Strategy for England
The average fuel-poverty gap for F-G properties was almost six times the gap for D-E properties in 2024. The comparison is relative because the supplied factsheet does not provide exact group gaps. Fuel Poverty Factsheet: England, 2024
Energy-efficiency differences also appear within flat types and regions. The North East had a median floor area of 80 square metres and median FPEER of 71, compared with national medians of 84 square metres and 70 in 2024; the regional figures are contextual medians, not direct causal effects. Sub-regional fuel poverty in England, 2026 report (2024 data)
FPEER is a fuel-poverty-specific modification of SAP and reflects energy costs after direct energy rebates. It should not be treated as identical to an EPC rating, and the English figures are mostly modelled from English Housing Survey data rather than direct household billing records.