The Footprint Trust is joining forces with National Energy Action (NEA) next week (Wednesday 26th November) to mark Fuel Poverty Awareness Day and highlight the growing number of Isle of Wight households struggling to afford warmth this winter.
Fuel poverty continues to affect thousands across the country, but the situation on the Isle of Wight remains particularly severe. A household is considered fuel poor if more than 10% of its income goes toward energy costs – a threshold that many families on the Island are currently exceeding.
This year’s campaign focuses on children growing up in cold homes and the long-term impact this can have on their health, education and overall wellbeing.
Kevin McNamara, Assistant Manager at the Footprint Trust, has said:
“The situations that some of our families can find themselves in can be very scary.
“We recently helped a family with a baby who was struggling to cover their energy bills and their microwave had broken. We supplied a new microwave so they could cook efficiently and keep sterilising the baby’s bottles, gave them an energy voucher so they could put the heating on to keep the baby warm and developed a plan with them with small changes they could take to reduce their energy usage and cut their bills.”
Figures from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2021 show that 34.2% of Isle of Wight children were living in poverty in 2022, with 13.9% of households experiencing fuel poverty. According to NEA estimates, that equates to more than 9,200 homes on the Island facing a cold and difficult winter.
Residents are being encouraged to show their support by:
- Following The Footprint Trust on social media and sharing their Fuel Poverty Awareness Day messages
- Engaging with NEA’s national campaign online
- Signing up to support at www.nea.org.uk
The Footprint Trust says action and awareness are more important than ever to ensure no one on the Isle of Wight is left in the cold.
How many families are spending more on
Cigarettes, Vapes and booze and then claim
for help with fuel.
Lol
All the above plus the necessity to have a tattoo, or tattoo’s.
Whatever happened to HarringtonVile?