How is Fuel poverty measured?
Fuel poverty in England is measured using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator, please see end of report for more details.
Fuel Poverty
In 2021, 13.9% of households in the North East LEP area were living in fuel poverty; this equates to 169,000 households. The percentage of households living in fuel poverty has fluctuated since 2014, with the lowest level being in 2018 at 9.4%, before peaking in 2019 at 15.0%. The proportion of households in fuel poverty in the North East LEP has on average been 1.2 percentage points higher than the national average (excluding London) since 2014, apart from in 2018 where the North East LEP was 0.6 percentage points lower than England excluding London. Compared to other LEPs in 2021, the North East had a relatively low proportion of households in fuel poverty at 13.9%. Only the West of England LEP had a lower proportion with 11.1%. Although the proportion of households in fuel poverty has increased since 2014, the North East’s performance has improved compared to the other LEP areas. In 2014, the North East LEP had one of the highest proportions of houses in fuel poverty, at 12.2%, but by 2018, it was one of the lowest.
In 2021, Newcastle Upon Tyne was the local authority in the North East LEP area with the highest proportion of households living in fuel poverty, at 15.2%, followed by County Durham at 14.7%. The local authority with the lowest proportion was North Tyneside at 11.6%. Only North Tyneside and Gateshead (13.3%) and lower than the average across England excluding London. The North East is higher than both England (13.1%) and England Excluding London (13.4%), at 14.0%.
How is Fuel Poverty Defined?
Under the LILEE indicator, a household is considered to be fuel poor if:
they are living in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below; and, when they spend the required amount to heat their home, they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line.