Category: News

Smart meter compensation, standing charge tariffs and grid incentives all set for change

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has responded to a series of recent announcements from Ofgem and the UK Government aimed at addressing energy affordability and system reform.

Ofgem has confirmed new standards and automatic compensation for customers with faulty smart meters. These measures are intended to reduce delays, improve installation success rates and help ensure more households can access time-of-use tariffs and lower-cost energy deals.

The Coalition has warned this step must only be the beginning as too many households still face faulty meters and are locked out of savings from the best tariffs on the market.

Ofgem must go further by closing loopholes that allow suppliers to dodge responsibility, regularly enforcing automatic compensation, and requiring transparency on smart meter faults and gaps in service. Without working meters, vulnerable households remain excluded from a fair energy system.

Ofgem has also outlined plans to require all suppliers to offer at least one low or zero standing charge tariff from early 2026. The proposals are designed to offer more choice and flexibility, especially for low-use households, though questions remain around eligibility and accessibility for vulnerable and prepayment customers.

The Coalition warned [pdf] that without safeguards, these tariffs may benefit only those who already self-ration energy or have smart technologies.

Prepayment customers, who are most harmed by standing charges, must be prioritised and protected. Ofgem should also consider defaulting low-usage and vulnerable households onto the most suitable tariff automatically. A rushed implementation during winter could do more harm than good.

A wider review of how network and policy costs are recovered through bills is also under way, with Ofgem seeking views on long-term reforms.

The Coalition welcomed the launch of this review but urged Ofgem to accelerate progress. Changes must be designed to protect low-income, low-use households from regressive fixed costs and to ensure fairer distribution of energy system costs. Long-term reform must prioritise affordability and equity, not just consumer ‘choice’ or supplier convenience.

In a separate decision, Ofgem confirmed changes to how the costs of failed energy suppliers are handled.

These changes aim to protect customers from having to absorb the full costs of future supplier collapses, which have added over £2.3 billion to bills in recent years. The Coalition welcomed this long-overdue intervention, calling it an important move to stop households footing the bill for industry failure.

Meanwhile, the UK Government has announced a new policy offering £125 off energy bills every six months for ten years to households living near new electricity pylons.

The Coalition supports efforts to accelerate the grid upgrades needed to connect renewables and large-scale battery storage to the electricity grid. However, infrastructure must be delivered with public consent ensuring that communities have a meaningful say in what gets built and where. This includes having control over how any ‘compensation’ or community benefit funding is used.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“These steps are moves in the right direction, but the job isn’t done.

“Vulnerable households still face major barriers in accessing fair energy deals, and structural issues like high electricity prices and standing charges remain unresolved.

“With the North Sea running out of gas and import dependence rising, the future of affordable energy lies in homegrown renewables.

“And of course, this needs to be fair to the communities where these vital national projects will take place. But in some areas, investment in local energy projects, insulation schemes, or community facilities may have far greater long-term value than bill discounts.

“Communities must have the power to shape the benefits as well as the infrastructure.”

ENDS

North Sea gas unable to meet national heating needs from 2027

The country will no longer be able to meet heating demand using only domestically extracted gas by 2027, even if new fields are approved, according to new analysis of official North Sea production data.

Official data shows that by 2027, UK gas production is set to fall short of what’s needed just to heat our homes, which currently accounts for 38% of UK gas use. In just two years’ time, more than two-thirds of the UK’s gas needs will be dependent on imports. [1]

The figures provide a clear warning that the North Sea is running out of gas. 

Even if new fields are approved, it won’t be enough to reverse the trend and the UK would still be almost entirely (94%) reliant on imports by 2050.

Experts say this has nothing to do with politics or policy — it’s the geological reality after half a century of drilling. Of all the gas estimated to have been in the North Sea basin, just 14% remains commercially viable according to official statistics. [2]

Even the lobbyists working for the North Sea industry admit that the financial viability of any additional extraction is “beyond realistic assumptions” and would only be possible with “major industry change.” [3]

Gas extracted from the North Sea is usually sold on international markets, which also leaves UK consumers subject to volatile prices. But even if the UK took the drastic step of only supplying its national needs, the trend data shows that at current levels of UK demand, existing fields hold just over three years of gas. New fields would add less than half a year.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“The geological reality is that the North Sea basin is dying and there are limited levels of gas for home heating left. The country is simply running out of gas and no amount of new drilling will stop Britain’s deepening dependency on foreign gas.

“The sooner households are supported to move to alternative heating and cooking systems the better.

“But what’s worse right now is that some politicians are dangerously misleading the public by overstating the North Sea’s continuing role in UK energy security.”

Recent polling by Uplift found that around two-fifths (41%) of the public mistakenly believe that there is enough gas left to significantly reduce or eliminate gas imports. [4]

Donald Trump recently claimed there’s a “century of drilling” left in the North Sea. Nigel Farage says the UK should be “self-sufficient” in gas and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has alleged that gas will power Britain “for generations”.

Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift commented: “Politicians are deliberately and dangerously misleading the public into thinking this country has a secure energy supply in the North Sea, when it is clear we do not.

“The hard truth is that, after 60 years of drilling, the UK has burned most of its gas and no amount of new drilling will change that. Our reliance on foreign gas is going to increase unless and until we shift to renewable energy, like wind, which we’re lucky to have in abundance.

“We cannot afford another decade of delay. Quite apart from the extra costs that households and businesses will incur from continuing to rely on volatile fossil fuels, and the damage they are causing to our climate, the UK’s energy workers need jobs that have a secure future.”

Polling previously found that two-thirds (67%) of the country are already concerned about the impact of the UK’s reliance on oil and gas.

ENDS

[1] Methodology and assumptions for analysis undertaken by the research team at Uplift on behalf of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition. 

Residential gas demand is based on estimates from the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget Balanced Net Zero Pathway (BNZP). If action is not taken to decarbonise in line with the CCC’s BNZP, then the CCC’s Seventh Carbon Budget baseline scenario estimates for residential gas demand suggest that this inflection point will take place in 2026, instead of 2027.    

NSTA production projections (March 2025) were used by researchers at Uplift to estimate gas import dependency in the UK through to 2050 under the CCC’s BNZP. 

The nation’s gas import dependency is set to rise from 55% today to 68% in 2030, 85% in 2040, and 94% in 2050 —  even if new fields like Rosebank, whose reserves are primarily oil destined for export, are given the green light. Even if new licenses were to be approved, the maximum they could reduce import dependency in any given year is again just 2%, meaning that gas import dependency would still soar to 83% in 2040 and 92% in 2050.

On an annual basis, the amounts of gas expected to be produced within already producing or sanctioned UKCS fields were compared against the amounts of gas required to meet UK demand under the Climate Change Committee’s Balanced Net Zero Pathway (as published within the NSTA’s projections). 

This established what proportion of UK gas demand could be met by UKCS gas production without the development of new projects, with the remainder needing to be met by gas imports – thus providing a baseline estimate of UK gas import dependency. 

This analysis assumes that all gas produced in the UK is used domestically, as estimates for the exportation rates of gas produced in the UKCS are unavailable. However, there is no guarantee that gas produced from UK fields will be used within the UK, and so this is likely to overestimate the amount of gas that will be used to meet UK demand. 

As such, this analysis provides the most optimistic estimates of UK gas import dependency. In reality, gas import dependency levels will likely be higher. 

To estimate how import dependency could change with the development of new North Sea fields, gas import dependency was recalculated accounting for the NSTA’s production projections for gas with the development of undeveloped discoveries. 

To analyse the potential impacts of the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects, gas import dependency was recalculated accounting for the annual gas production estimates published in the Rosebank and Jackdaw Environmental Statements. 

Production estimates from the Rosebank and Jackdaw Environment Statements provide the highest range of gas expected to be produced from these fields, which are necessary to assess the worst case environmental impacts. However, the mid case production profiles, which provide the most likely range for production from these fields, are lower. As such, the impacts of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields on UK gas import dependency will be overstated. 

[2]  The UK has already extracted 86% of recoverable gas from the UKCS, leaving just 14%, most of which lies within existing fields (8% in existing fields, 1% in new fields, 2% in licensed but undeveloped, and the rest in unlicensed acreage). Based on data in: https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/media/vtjkyqnf/uk-reserves-and-resources-report-as-at-end-2023.pdf 

Expert commentary includes:

  • Andy Samuel, former head of the regulator, North Sea Transition Authority, has said “it’s unlikely, given [the North Sea is] a mature basin and the geology is well-known, that we’re suddenly going to have a situation where we are significantly growing production again.”
  • Former BP chief Lord Browne has said the decision by the previous government to expand North Sea drilling is “not going to make any difference” to Britain’s energy security and is “symbolic”.

[3] Westwood Global Energy Group “Potential of the UKCS under different scenarios” summary report on behalf of OEUK (June, 2025), p15.

[4] Polling commissioned by Uplift and conducted by Opinium in May 2025, with a representative sample of 2,050 UK adults.

Smart meter rule changes needed as July price cap change comes in

Britain’s smart meter rollout must provide stronger protections for those left without functioning meters or denied access to cheaper energy tariffs.

In its submission to Ofgem’s consultation on Smart Meter Guaranteed Standards of Performance, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said the regulator’s proposals “do not go far enough” and risk “letting down the very people most in need of support.”

The warning comes as the 1 July energy price cap change comes into effect and millions of households are expected to start shopping around for better energy deals. Many of the most competitive tariffs are now only available to customers with working smart meters.

Consumers without functioning smart meters, or who have been unable to get one installed, are often excluded from these deals, further widening the gap between those who can and cannot afford to heat their homes.

“This is fast becoming a two-tier energy system,” the report warns. 

“Households without smart meters, often through no fault of their own, are now locked out of the most affordable tariffs. This creates a form of discrimination and risks trapping more people in fuel poverty.”

The Coalition’s submission lays out two key categories of compensation. First, it recommends quarterly automatic compensation for ongoing failures such as:

  • A smart meter not being connected by the Data Communications Company (DCC).
  • Areas with no DCC coverage despite consumer requests.
  • Installation failures in buildings with architectural challenges (e.g. stone walls, first-floor flats).
  • Smart meters that fail to communicate with suppliers or the DCC.
  • Smart meters that don’t work properly after installation.

Secondly, it calls for one-off automatic payments for each occasion where:

  • Meter readings are recorded incorrectly during installation.
  • Installation appointments aren’t provided within a set timeframe.
  • Engineers miss scheduled appointments.
  • Installations fail due to supplier-related issues.

The Coalition says that suppliers should be required to pay compensation even when third-party organisations are at fault, and then reclaim the cost from those responsible in a significant departure from the current system. 

It warns that current proposals rely on the phrase “within a supplier’s control” before compensation can be paid out which risks creating loopholes that allow firms to dodge accountability.

Separately, the Coalition has raised concerns with regulators about the impact of increasing reliance on time of use tariffs on vulnerable groups who have less ability to shift demand to alternative times of the day.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“Smart meters can be a force for good, helping households manage their usage, access better tariffs, and reduce costs. But we need to remember those households who are unable to access these tariffs.

“It’s time for energy companies to take full responsibility for the broken smart meter rollout. Consumers have already paid billions for this programme through their bills, yet they are the ones being left without working meters, without access to the best tariffs, and without proper compensation.

“All of these issues are happening at the same time as we see ongoing structural problems in the UK’s energy pricing system continue to drive up the cost of electricity, which remains closely linked to volatile global gas markets under the marginal pricing model.

“The geological reality is that the North Sea basin is dying and there are limited levels of gas for home heating left, the UK is simply running out of gas. No amount of new drilling will stop Britain’s deepening dependency on foreign gas.

“The sooner households are supported to move to alternative heating and cooking systems the better.”

ENDS

The full response to the Ofgem consultation is available to read as a pdf.

Victory for Warm Homes Plan campaign as £13.2bn investment confirmed

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has welcomed the Government’s decision to honour its full £13.2 billion manifesto commitment to fund the Warm Homes Plan.

The announcement in the Comprehensive Spending Review comes after sustained pressure from health experts, anti-poverty campaigners and public polling that showed strong voter support for keeping the pledge.

The funding will go towards improving energy efficiency in five million homes through grants and low-interest loans for insulation, solar panels, battery storage, and clean heating systems.

An End Fuel Poverty Coalition spokesperson said:

“Today’s £13.2bn warm homes boost to insulation and energy efficiency funding is a huge step forward for households suffering in cold damp homes.

“It also comes on top of recent announcements that every new home will benefit from inbuilt renewable energy generation via the Future Homes Standard and millions of pensioners will have their Winter Fuel Payments restored.

“But this is not the end of the crisis as energy bills are still too high – hundreds of pounds a year more than in 2020.

“The Government must now act to support all homes in fuel poverty through a ‘social tariff’ and to bring down the cost of electricity in a fair way for everybody.

“That means implementing a proper plan for electricity pricing reform, including scrapping marginal pricing so that the expensive cost of gas no longer sets the electricity price for the whole market.

“We also need real reform of Standing Charges – a measure backed by all main parties ahead of the last election – so that vulnerable high energy users such as older and disabled people are not unfairly penalised by the system.”

The Coalition also welcomed the replacement of the Household Support Fund with a new multi-year Crisis and Resilience Fund for local authorities to draw on.

However, campaigners warned that deeper systemic reforms are still needed to fully end fuel poverty — especially for disabled people and carers, who continue to face the threat of looming cuts to social security that could plunge hundreds of thousands into hardship.

Jonathan Bean of Fuel Poverty Action said:

“The Warm Homes Plan sounds good but without affordable energy prices millions will still suffer in under-heated homes. The extra energy needs of disabled people are being ignored, whilst their incomes are being slashed.”

The funding breakdown of the Warm Homes Plan is expected to include support for social housing decarbonisation, home upgrade loans, insulation grants, and local authority-led retrofit schemes. Crucially, the Coalition has stressed that the £13.2bn must be additional to existing schemes like the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS), which should continue to run in parallel.

National Energy Action Chief Executive Adam Scorer said:

“The cost and suffering of cold homes and unaffordable energy bills will only be beaten in the long-term through investment in home energy efficiency. It’s welcome that the Warm Homes Plan will be receiving the full Labour manifesto funding commitment.

“£13.2 billion can support a Plan focused on those in the least efficient homes and on the lowest incomes. This can result in life-changing outcomes for the most vulnerable households, helping us drive economic growth, reduce pressure on health services and meet legal targets, in turn setting us on a path towards a fair and affordable transition to net zero.

“We now have the financial commitment; now comes the time to deliver for the most vulnerable households.”

Ministers face voter backlash if Warm Homes Plan is cut

Trust in Labour will be further threatened if the Chancellor scales back funding for home insulation and lowering energy bills, according to new polling released today, in echoes of the row over Winter Fuel Payments.

Recent media reports suggest that the Chancellor is considering reducing the funding available to insulate homes. [1]

The research by Opinium reveals that nearly half (46%) of Labour voters say that any backtracking from Labour’s manifesto commitment to invest in insulating the country’s poor housing stock would further reduce trust in Sir Keir Starmer’s government. [2]

Among those who voted for Labour in the last general election but aren’t currently planning on voting for them again, well over half (56%) say it would reduce their trust in Labour – damaging the party’s attempts to woo voters back from Reform, the Lib Dems, Greens and others. [3]

Almost half (48%) of Labour voters said the warm homes election promise was a factor in their decision to vote for the Labour Party. 

Labour promised to invest £13.2bn in a Warm Homes Plan to help improve the country’s leaky housing, which is making people ill and driving up NHS demand. A recent Medact survey found that three-quarters of front-line clinicians regularly see patients made ill by poor housing conditions, and almost half have discharged patients into homes they knew would make them sick again.   

In the run-up to the General Election, over half of prospective Labour voters (59%) said they supported a funded nationwide insulation programme to slash deaths caused by cold, damp houses. Meanwhile other researchers found that 59% of voters opposed stripping all pensioners of Winter Fuel Payments. [4]

In the new research, pollsters found that nearly all voters (87%) believe it is important for political parties to stand by their manifesto commitments. 

Ed Matthew, UK Director for the climate change thinktank E3G said: 

“Cutting a programme that will make immediate and direct improvements to people’s lives would backfire. 

“The public is sick of wasting money trying to heat cold, leaky houses and want this government to honour its manifesto pledge. If they fail to do so it would demonstrate that Labour have not learned from the Winter Fuel debacle at all.”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said:
“This polling clearly shows that it is now a case of heat or defeat for the Government. 

“The Labour Manifesto said the promised funding will offer grants and low interest loans to support investment in insulation and other improvements such as solar panels, batteries and low carbon heating to cut bills.

“Either they back a Warm Homes Plan to the full extent promised in the manifesto, or they will be punished at the ballot box. 

“The Chancellor must not be able to engineer another ‘Winter Fuel Payment’ disaster by refusing to help tackle fuel poverty and MPs should make that clear.”

The polling comes on the day that health workers will deliver an open letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting MP, endorsed by several royal colleges. The letter urges the Government to honour its election promise to reduce energy bills and allocate at least £13.2 billion to a nationwide insulation programme in the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review. 

Maria Carvalho, spokesperson for Medact, commented:

“It’s simple. All we want is what was promised in the election campaign. That means a fully funded Warm Homes Plan, investment in green jobs, skills, and training, stronger protections for renters after upgrades are completed and delivery of high-quality home retrofits.”

In recent days groups of businesses and over 50 senior figures from charities have written to the Treasury to express concerns that the Warm Homes Policy policy is facing severe cuts.

Deputy Director of Uplift, Robert Palmer, added: “The nearly nine million people up and down the country living in cold damp homes, desperately need the Government to commit to the Warm Homes Plan.

“It is so important to them that this research reveals 46% Labour voters will lose further trust in the party if it backtracks on this key pledge.

“There is now deep concern following reports that the Treasury is looking to trim the amount the government has pledged to spend on insulating homes

“We have some of the leakiest housing stock in Europe and the priority should be making those fit to live in through the promised £13.2 billion Warm Homes Plan announced in the 2024 manifesto.

“We’re calling on the Government to commit to this funding now, which is also crucial to their election promise to bring down energy bills. If they don’t it could be a broken promise too far for many of those who put their faith in voting for Labour last July.”

ENDS

[1] Sources: The Times (27.05.25), the FT (05.05.25), Politico MEC Bulletin (29.04.25)

[2] Opinium conducted a politically and nationally representative online poll of 2,050 UK adults from 14th – 16th May 2025.

[3] Of the Labour voters polled, the research suggests 54% would still vote for the party, but 12% would vote Reform, 7% would vote Lib Dem, 6% Lib Dem, 3% Conservative with the others choosing another party or now being unsure of their vote.

[4] “Over half of prospective Labour voters…” Opinium conducted a politically and nationally representative online poll of 2,185 UK adults from 29th – 31st May 2024.

Two thirds of people (67%) were also aware of the move to remove winter fuel allowance payments from pensioners, apart from those who receive means-tested benefits, and 59% opposed it, with only 28% in favour. YouGov / ECIU.

MPs warned of hidden pensioner poverty as Winter Fuel Payment u-turn confirmed

3.2 million pensioner households are facing unaffordable energy costs MPs heard today, with around 964,000 households in deep fuel poverty, meaning they spend more than 20% of their income on energy. [1]

On the day that the Prime Minister announced a potential u-turn on the decision to axe Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners, MPs on the Work and Pensions Select Committee heard evidence on the tests any changes to the Payments need to pass.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“Any u-turn is welcome, but what matters now is the detail, especially if Winter Fuel Payments are not restored to all pensioners.

“There are three tests we will apply to any announcement based on thresholds, tapers and wider targeting to see if ministers are getting the message.

“We need to see the Pension Credit threshold raised significantly, a taper system introduced to stop people missing out on Winter Fuel Payments for being just £1 over the line, and wider targeting of this support, including for those on non-means tested disability benefits or Carer’s Allowance.

“Above all, ministers must learn lessons from this scandalous decision. Sadly, there are rumours that the Chancellor is planning to water down the Warm Homes Plan promised in the Labour manifesto and reduce the £13.2bn promised to it.

“Any dilution of the proposals will mean fewer older people can be helped to reduce their energy use in a safe way.

“Pensioner fuel poverty is often hidden away behind closed doors and ultimately pensioners need warm, energy-efficient homes, not more sticking plasters.”

The Committee’s evidence session also heard that health workers are also raising an alarm about pensioner poverty.

A recent Medact survey found that three-quarters of clinicians regularly see patients made ill by poor housing conditions, and almost half have discharged patients into homes they knew would make them sick again.

According to Age UK, 35% of pensioners earning less than £20,000 said their home was too cold most or all of the time this January, and nearly half said they were worried about the effect of energy prices on their health.

The Coalition is also urging MPs to accept the recommendations of the Future of Local Welfare Inquiry report and make the Household Support Fund permanent. Campaigners have also called MPs to back reform the Warm Home Discount, and modernise the Cold Weather Payment into an “Extreme Weather Payment” that reaches vulnerable households before temperatures drop dangerously low.

MPs also heard that it was vital that there is the introduction of a unit rate-based social tariff to permanently reduce bills for those on low incomes, with medical needs, or in energy-inefficient homes.  The tariff must be automatically applied using data shared between the DWP, NHS, HMRC, and energy suppliers, and funded progressively—ideally through general taxation or a central industry levy.

ENDS

[1] Tables in Annex A and B [pdf]. Official government figures used a different, flawed, model of calculating fuel poverty. For more discussion on this issue, read the Coalition’s response to the Government’s fuel poverty strategy review. In 2023 [pdf], around a third of fuel-poor households don’t qualify for any benefits – and that was before the WFP cuts, so this figure is likely to have risen.

Report reveals scale of health crisis fuelled by poor housing

A new landmark report by health charity Medact reveals that three quarters of health workers regularly see patients whose poor housing is harming their health – with more than 1 in 10 witnessing this almost every day.

Drawing on an opinion poll of over 2,000 healthcare workers, Home Sick Home: Frontline views on the public health crisis of unhealthy homes explores the public health impacts of the UK’s housing crisis on patients, health workers, and the NHS. The study found that nearly half (45%) of health workers have had to send a patient home knowing their housing would make them ill again.

“We see the same issues time and again – families living in mould-ridden, insecure homes, children developing asthma and anxiety, elderly people afraid to turn on their heating,” said Sophia, a clinical psychologist quoted in the report. “We’re not treating patients. We’re sending them back into the very conditions that made them sick.”

Key findings:

  • 70% regularly see mental health conditions caused or worsened by housing issues

  • 65% see patients living in excessively cold homes; 61% hear of damp and mould; 63% see unaffordable rent driving ill-health

  • 64% regularly treat children whose health problems are likely linked to insecure housing; 67% say damp and mould are causing children’s respiratory issues.

The report echoes previous findings of research by the Social Workers Union which revealed that over a fifth (21%) of social workers working with children, young people and families have seen their service remove a child or children from their family in the last three years where unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions was a key contributing factor.

The report says that the crisis is especially acute among vulnerable groups, with older adults, disabled people, and children experiencing housing-related illness. From mental health crises in new parents to chronic asthma in children, the testimonies included in the report reveal how unsafe housing is deepening health inequalities across the UK. The survey found that 66% of respondents see disabled people in unsuitable homes likely making them ill at least once a month.

“Given everything we know about the positives of good-quality housing, I never thought I’d see a rise in Victorian-age diseases,” said children’s doctor Krishnan in the report.

From cold, damp, overcrowded homes to skyrocketing rents and constant eviction threats, the report paints a picture of a housing system in collapse – and a public health crisis that is impacting both people’s health and the NHS.

It shows that health workers back political action to protect patient health and the NHS: 69% believe making renting more affordable would reduce the burden on the NHS, whilst 58% say increasing the supply of social housing would ease NHS pressures

More than two thirds (69%) agreed with the statements “I feel powerless to support my patients with their housing conditions” and “government spending to prevent illnesses created by cold homes is better for the NHS than having to spend money to nurse patients back to health”.

The report sets out ten recommendations, including rent controls, a national retrofitting programme, building more social housing, and a social energy guarantee to ensure no one has to choose between heating and eating.

Medact member and children’s doctor Dr Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy said:

“Colleagues feel a deep-seated sense of helplessness and feel redundant in their capacity to make meaningful health improvements in the lives of patients. Coupled with the existing pressures of working in a system that’s under-resourced, this leads to apathy. It’s tempting to think that the NHS alone can socially prescribe its way out of the housing crisis, but my experiences and those of colleagues suggest this simply will not scratch the surface let alone bring meaningful and lasting change. Yes, the NHS does need resourcing but if we’re serious about ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’, then that needs to be translated into policy.”

Laura Vicinanza, Senior Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Inclusion London said:

“It is no secret that disabled people are at the sharpest end of the housing crisis. Yet, this problem has been ignored for decades. Too many Disabled people are trapped in inaccessible homes, battling evictions, and facing skyrocketing rents – often forced to cut back on essentials just to afford their housing costs. Medact’s new report uncovers a very grim reality: poor and unaffordable housing doesn’t just worsen people’s existing health conditions—it creates new ones, with health professionals left to pick up the pieces of a broken housing system. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The Government has the power to solve this crisis. They can act now by making rents more affordable and kickstarting a revolution in accessible social homebuilding. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

Dr Abi O’Connor, researcher at the New Economics Foundation, said:

“Private landlords have been allowed to increase rents to eye-watering levels and now we’re seeing the consequences – it’s making people and our economy sicker. If the government are interested in improving the economy for ordinary people, it is clear they must address the plague of unaffordable rents. In the short term they should introduce rent controls to give people stability, and in the long term they will need to build more social housing which is the only way to provide people with safe, affordable homes .”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“Addressing the housing challenge is more than health workers can do themselves.

“Not only do we need to see investment in a £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan to help improve housing conditions, but we also need a full range of fully-functioning and well-resourced public services.”

Looming crisis for 300,000 households on RTS meters

Ministers and Ofgem have been warned of a “looming crisis” for households on old-style Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters in a letter from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

The stark warning comes as the RTS meter replacement programme shows signs of failing meaning urgent action will be needed to prevent vulnerable households potentially being left without heating and hot water.

In a letter addressed to Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Minister for Energy Consumers, and Ofgem Chief Executive Jonathan Brearley, the Coalition raised serious concerns about the pace and communication of the meter replacement effort, which affects hundreds of thousands of households across the UK.

The RTS system – used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water – will be switched off later this year. If an RTS meter is not replaced before the service is switched off, households risk losing access to heating and hot water, particularly where electric storage heating is used. 

Customers may also lose the ability to access cheaper off-peak tariffs, leading to higher energy bills, and could face inaccurate or inconsistent billing or in some cases, the meters may stop working properly altogether. 

Ofgem has been running a public awareness campaign on the issue with Lorraine Kelly explaining how to check for an RTS meter.


But the Coalition says the replacement programme is falling dangerously behind schedule, with energy suppliers unable to meet existing targets and thousands of customers, especially in rural Scotland, still without a plan for replacement.

“Based on our members’ conversations with energy suppliers, we estimate that in Scotland alone, tens of thousands of RTS meters are yet to be addressed, leaving many consumers in limbo,” the letter states.

The letter also challenges the lack of clarity around the regulator’s “no detriment” commitment, which is designed to ensure that people who move from an RTS meter to a new connection do not have to pay more for their energy. 

However, there are warnings that without firm guarantees on this commitment, vulnerable consumers could face higher costs or service disruptions.

Further concerns are also raised about contradictory advice being issued by energy firms to consumers and inconsistent billing practices, with reports of customers being charged double standing charges due to legacy meter configurations.

BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme on 28 April highlighted the concerns raised in the letter and an Energy UK spokesperson told the programme that at the end of March 2025, 430,000 households remained on an RTS meter and efforts to replace them stood at 1,000 installations a day.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented: 

“Our member organisations across the country will continue to do all they can to support the transition and raise awareness of the switch, but urgent action is now required. There is a very real risk that over 300,000 households will find their RTS meter stops working come 1 July 2025.

“With pressures on the replacement programme growing and with limited engineer availability, especially in rural areas, there’s a real risk of prolonged disruption, particularly for vulnerable households.

“Government, regulators and energy firms need to face up to the looming crisis and ramp up efforts to help people switch. At the same time we now need to ensure contingency measures are in place for those who do not make the deadline and require energy suppliers to ensure fair metering and billing practices.”

The letter was also copied to devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, including Gillian Martin MSP and Rebecca Evans MS.

Frazer Scott, Chief Executive of Energy Action Scotland, said:

“Time and time again consumers are left in the dark by the Government and an energy industry failing to deliver on its promises to deliver improvements. 

“Let’s not forget that many of these firms are making significant profits from customers and yet their customers, including many vulnerable people, may be left without working heating and hot water or facing the prospect of spiralling costs in just a few weeks time. 

“The impact of failure in the switchover process on the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland don’t bear thinking about.”

ENDS

The letter can be read in full in this pdf.

Image of an RTS meter by Richard Harvey – Own work, Public Domain, Wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3063595

Social workers report cold homes crisis for children

As millions of households struggled through last winter in cold damp homes, the impact on children has been revealed in newly released data.

Over a fifth (21%) of social workers working with children, young people and families have seen their service remove a child or children from their family in the last three years where unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions was a key contributing factor. [1]

Unsafe housing conditions can include maintenance issues, mould, damp, insect or vermin infestations or cramped conditions.

More broadly, 78% of all social workers strongly agree that housing conditions are a concern for people they support, with over a third (36%) strongly agreeing that over the last three years, the number of people they help live in unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions which has increased.

The research among social workers was conducted by the Social Workers Union and follows previous reports by ITV that the cost of living crisis has led to a third of UK social workers witnessing child removals in the past three years where poverty or financial poverty has been a key factor.

John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, commented:

“Removal of a child from their family is always a last resort, but sadly when conditions become dangerous action has to be taken.

“This data shows that the reality of life in modern day Britain is a struggle for many households. The country’s poor housing stock poses a danger to the wellbeing and development of children and poses a risk to the health of many adults with pre-existing health conditions.

“Social workers go above and beyond to help those at most risk in the country and are highlighting safeguarding concerns on a regular basis. However, addressing the housing challenge is more than social workers can do themselves. 

“Not only do we need to see investment in a £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan to help improve housing conditions, but we also need a full range of fully-functioning and well-resourced public services. 

“Ministers must own up to the fact that it is only the Government that can provide the funding to reverse the decline in public services and ensure the most vulnerable get the support they need.”

Among all social workers, housing conditions are a concern with large numbers strongly agreeing that ‘the number of people I work with who are living in unsafe or inappropriate housing conditions’ has increased over the last 3 years.

However, the results varied across the UK, with those in the North East of England, London and Wales most likely to report that housing was a major concern. [2]

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said:

“Millions of people from the youngest children to our oldest pensioners are living in cold damp homes, unable to heat their homes to a safe temperature or racking up massive debts – with some even turning to loan sharks. 

“To add insult to injury, around a quarter of what is spent on heating our draughty properties is wasted, because the UK’s old housing stock is some of the worst insulated in Europe.

“Ministers are making the right noises when it comes to helping improve housing, but the Chancellor needs to put the money where their mouth is and commit the funding needed for a Wam Homes Plan which will help people improve the energy efficiency and insulation of their homes.

“And until these reforms are delivered, Ministers must not forget about the millions of people suffering in cold damp homes – they should provide enough support to ensure that everyone is able to stay warm every winter.”

Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, an NHS Children’s Doctor based in South Yorkshire, commented:

“Some of the most acute harms of the UK’s unsafe, unaffordable and insecure housing are shouldered by our most disadvantaged children and young people.

“Whilst the findings of this report are shocking, they won’t come as a surprise to many of us working in the NHS. Increasingly, children’s health professionals across the UK are witnessing cases of respiratory illness, undernutrition and worsening mental health all linked to undignified housing circumstances. 

“What’s more, rather than providing a foundation for their health, unfit, unsafe and expensive housing continues to severely impact their educational attainment, social health and life chances.

“Without radical change towards fairer policies that support affordability, energy efficiency, accessibility and security of tenure, housing will continue to entrench and reproduce childhood mass illness and stark disadvantage.”

Matthew Scott, senior policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, added:

“Warm, safe homes are the cornerstone of our health, but this research demonstrates the life changing impact housing can have on children’s wellbeing.

“Local authorities’ Housing Revenue Accounts are stretched to their limit following decades of rent cuts and caps over the last ten years, and it is nearly three decades since the last significant central investment in upgrading homes, which came through the transformative Decent Homes Programme.

“The government should seize the opportunity to reverse the cycle of underinvesting in housing quality, so every child has a safe, secure home. In its forthcoming Spending Review, we urge the government to set out a new programme of investment in existing homes, including fully allocating the £13.2 billion promised for its Warm Homes Plan and taking steps to put the finances of housing providers on a more stable footing.”

ENDS

[1] 2,295 members of the Social Workers Union responded to a survey conducted online between 3 and 21 October 2024. Respondents were screened to ensure active employment in social work. ITV News broadcast a report with unique access behind the scenes with a social work team on 4 December 2024.

[2] Regional / National differences for this question:

  • North East 41%
  • London 41%
  • Wales 41%
  • South East 39%
  • Yorkshire & Humber 39%
  • North West 39%
  • East Midlands 38%
  • Northern Ireland 37%
  • West Midlands 32%
  • South West 28%
  • Scotland 24%
  • East of England 26%

Featured image posed by model. Signed model release on file with Shutterstock, Inc (asset ID 510078436).

The good, the bad and the ugly sides of energy market trading revealed

Reforming the energy market trading system could save households £173.34 per year on their electricity bill, according to a new report. [1]

The system sees units of gas and electricity traded on international markets and the analysis by Future Energy Associates sets out “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of this process.

Chief among the “bad” issues identified in the report is the role of speculative trading where companies trade energy solely for financial gain without directly delivering electricity to consumers. 

This type of trading increases the frequency and volume of trades, which can impact overall market prices. Speculative traders attempt to profit from price fluctuations, buying low and selling high, potentially adding to price volatility. 

A significant number of the trading firms place trades on market exchanges for electricity and gas for a specific location. However, often these trading houses are based offshore or structured to avoid direct UK tax obligations, allowing them to operate with fewer tax liabilities compared to domestic companies. This setup enables such firms to retain a larger share of profits.

These dedicated trading firms that engage in high-volume trading to capitalise on price fluctuations and focus on profit driven strategies include Vitol (annual profits $15.1bn), Trafigura ($7.4bn), Glencore ($5bn), and Mercuria ($2.7bn). Recent supply shocks, driven largely by reliance on foreign gas, have allowed trading teams to capitalise on market volatility. 

The report did find that some energy trading can be “good” and help keep prices stable [2], but there are also significant issues with the “ugly” current system used by energy retailers.

Retailers are required to be more risk-averse and lack the technical expertise of other trading houses and take on risk premiums when setting household tariffs, ultimately passing these costs onto consumers.

Energy retailers often engage in “Over The Counter trading” (OTC). This involves brokers and financial firms profiting for providing liquidity. Every trade comes with extra costs like fees and commissions, which ultimately increase household energy bills and can make prices even more unstable.

The report highlights that the direct impact of trading activities on consumer bills via the Ofgem price cap is challenging to quantify with a lack of transparency making it difficult for consumers and industry stakeholders to assess how much trading influences the final capped prices. 

However the researchers have recommended that changes are made to the market structure – including a more active role for GB Energy to eliminate market inefficiency in trading. The researchers calculated that eliminating these market inefficiencies in a perfect world could save 6.4 p/kWh off every unit of electricity used.

This could potentially save UK electricity bill payers around £4.51 billion annually, with each household saving about £173.34 per year on their electricity bill.

Report author, Dylan Johnson, from Future Energy Associates, commented:

“Volatility in energy prices benefits speculative traders who use advanced algorithms to exploit rapid price changes. Equipped with high-frequency trading technology, these traders can profit from even minor price swings throughout the day, buying low and selling high within milliseconds. 

“This speculative activity often drives prices away from the true cost of generation, creating added instability that ultimately impacts consumer prices.

“Key players, including independent traders like Vitol, Trafigura, Gunvor, and Mercuria, have significantly benefited from increased profits, with gross earnings for the sector reaching $148 billion in 2022. This growth was spurred by volatile markets, especially in gas and power, which have now surpassed oil as the primary profit drivers.”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“This report reveals the good, the bad and the ugly sides of market trading. 

“At its worst, trading creates a system that is skewed against consumers with billionaire trading firms, hedge funds and banks profiting from volatile energy prices.

“These groups are also gambling with the ability of hard stretched households to keep warm every winter and put hot food on the table.

“Ministers and MPs should urgently investigate how these firms operate and the impact they are having on energy bills. More widely, the launch of GB Energy should act as an opportunity to reform the trading market so it improves security and brings down the cost of energy.”

Caroline Simpson, Campaign Manager for Warm This Winter, which commissioned the study, added:

“Yet again we see how the energy sector trades on people’s misery. It’s unfair and ending this could save UK electricity bill payers around £4.51 billion annually, that’s a much-needed £173.34 per year for households.

“We need reforms like this to kick in urgently,  including making Ofgem get to grips with the industry and closing loopholes that netted a £4 billion windfall for network companies we are demanding is given back to billpayers.

“This government is on the right path after over a decade of neglect and must continue their commitment to serious investment in home insulation and ramping up our renewable energy production to bring down bills. That will have the added benefit of boosting our energy security during these uncertain times.”

ENDS

[1] Tariff Watch – Impacts of Trading, FEA / Warm This Winter, April 2025 (pdf).

[2] Benefits of so called “physical trading” include balancing supply & demand (ensuring electricity production matches real-time demand, preventing waste and shortages), supporting grid flexibility & renewables (balancing the grid using batteries, EVs, and demand response, making it easier to integrate renewable energy) and in some cases lowering costs (by encouraging competition, helping to keep energy prices down).