According to the latest data released, UK has among the highest proportion of people in fuel poverty in the UK.

The data published by campaigning group the Energy Bill Revolution showed that among the 27 European nations surveyed, the UK ranked 26th with the second highest proportion of people living in fuel poverty. According to estimates, about a total of 5 million households in the UK are living in fuel poverty, which means that they need to spend more than a tenth of their income on the fuel. Under the current regulations, a household that spent more than
10 per cent of their income of fuel was defined as fuel poor.

The British government had said that it is altering the rules to define fuel poverty, a move that will reduce the number of families in fuel poverty. The Department for Energy and Climate Change said that the move is aimed at making sure that the aid is targeted at those who need it the most. Under the new rules, a household will be defined as fuel poor if the total income of its occupants is below the poverty line accounting for the energy costs and its energy costs are higher than typical.

The move to change the definition comes following a consultation launched in September in the previous year and an independent review of the current definition by Professor John Hills of the London School of Economics (LSE) that was published in March 2012.

Charity Barnardo, with Consumer Futures, National Energy Action and the Energy Bill Revolution have all written letters to the main political parties to take actions to address the situation.