Fuel poverty: Ministers 'shifting goal posts'

A committee of MPs has accused ministers of "shifting the goal posts" to reduce the number of households in England classed as in fuel poverty. 

The definition of fuel poverty would be changed by amendments to the Energy Bill so that 2.4 million were classed as fuel poor rather than 3.2 million.

The cross-party committee's report said families were currently classed as fuel poor if they spent more than 10% of income on fuel "to maintain an adequate level of warmth".

Under the new definition, families would only be deemed to be in hardship if they had "above average fuel costs" leaving them with "a residual income below the official poverty line".