In a recently-issued warning, the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) has drawn attention to the fact that the coming weeks may witness approximately 300,000 additional households being forced into a situation of fuel poverty.

Calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to deal with what it describes as a "spiralling" problem pertaining to fuel poverty, the Department of Energy-funded FPAG said that there has been a 7 percent increase in average energy prices this year; with the result that the average annual direct debit bill has now touched £1,247.

With `fuel poverty' of a household underscoring a situation in which over 10 percent of a household income goes towards home heating, the FPAG projected that `fuel poverty' criteria will probably be met by nine million people
2016; with the figures for this winter likely to make an addition of 300,000 households.

Stressing on the need for an urgent impact evaluation of welfare reforms on fuel poverty, the FPAG said that a cross-departmental body should be created by the government to ensure a "joined-up approach." The government should also create a new duty for local authorities to meet fuel poverty targets.

Noting that `spiralling' fuel poverty is an upshot of the cold winter and welfare reforms which are "cutting incomes," FPAG chairman Derek Lickorish said that, with austerity measures in place and other rising household costs, "the plight of the fuel poor has never been more serious."