Fuel poverty advisory group: Target will not be met

The government is unlikely to meet its 2010 target for eradicating fuel poverty in all vulnerable households, it was told last month.

The fuel poverty advisory group, an independent body, said on March 28th it believes government policies are responsible for the impending failure.

Its report called for additional payments for fuel to offset recent cutbacks to the winter fuel payments programme.

Extra payments for higher-rate taxpayers to free up £200 million a year and windfall gains under the EU emissions trading scheme were suggested as means to provide this funding.

Energy firms were also blamed. The report said: "Gas and electricity customers in 2006 spent as much as £8 billion (60 per cent) more for their energy than in 2003 and nearly one-third of this increase appears to be attributable to improved margins, especially in electricity."

But it applauded plans to increase firms' social programmes as "very helpful".